The WF's issue isn't the violence, it's the lack of nuance
The common complaint with the WF plotline is that it's supposedly racist in the depiction of the WF because of their violence. Which...isn't a problem? Social movements become violent and tyrannical all the time. Hell, that's what most revolutions end up as. That doesn't make the concept of a social movement or fight for equality bad- just that they're easy to hijack with bad actors who create a violent bent either out of self interest or being blinded by self righteousness.
No, the problem is the fact that...the WF plotline is very basic. For the WF, it isn't so bad since you do get some variety from the 'pure good' side of Blake and Ghira, the more flawed side of Illa and Sienna and the just malicious side of Adam. But like, there's a large ideological gap between Ghira's absolutism view on pacifism and Sienna's use of violence as a fear tactic. Most people would not just jump from one to the next, that's just too big a gap and people would likely be put off from her. There should have been a position between the two, someone who was okay with using violence but as an act of self defense against aggression (that isn't Blake) to make the slide from a purely peaceful organization to one that thinks violence is a perfectly valid tool to use. And there should have been more people like Illa, who were more openly conflicted about the use of violence but felt pressured into doing so out desperation. There should be arguments and debates between members about the ethics of such violence. Actual real life movements that turn rotten often slowly rot from people genuinely trying to do good naturally falling victim to normal human failings, like not considering the long term effects of your actions. There's some level of nuance here...but there really should have been more.
No, the real problem is the human side. To be blunt: a large part of why I don't think the WF plotline is racist is because anyone on the side of being '''pro-human''' is treated like a one dimensional cardboard cutout. Cardin has no personality beyond being a douchebag. Literally: Cardin isn't even given a reason for why he's a jackass other than that he's a jackass. Cordovin is an over the top caricature who's only redeemed because she sided with the heroes (note that she's the least racist person here). And Jacques...Jacques is literally every stereotype of Adam mashed together and made worse. Even the worst interpretations of Adam (like that he deserved his branding) is still more of a person than Jacques (who is worse in every way...because he is evil.) Hell, at least characters like Adam and Illa are treated with drama and some baseline respect, given something of a point. Neither Cardin nor Jacques nor even Cordovin are given a reason for their racism (like being taught this, having bad experiences with the Fanaus, being pro-human supremacists or even having a 'fuck you, got mine'). They're racist...because they are either one-dimensional bad guys or, with Cordovin, are given a basic 'bad person' trait. Weiss differs since she's a better person than them...but that's only after she stops being racist and basically switches sides.
Because of this: the racism in RWBY doesn't really feel that extreme. There isn't any kind of underlying racism in the general society, beyond a sign in Mistral's shithole part. There is no like, decent person who's racist to show that racism is generally accepted. The only racists you have are just...the worst which isn't how racism works in the real world (plenty of people you would consider decent and kind are racist and that's why it's so bad). They're all the worst people in the show and everyone hates them for it...which sends the idea that racism is generally seen as not okay in Remnant and makes the WF look like they're overreacting. And it's probably because the writers never thought about how a decent person could be racist because that's generally the society we live in (or at least, in 2012. Now it's a different story- I fucking hate it here), even though Remnant is NOT our world.
There needed to be a lot more insidious racism in the story. People who are nice who nonetheless react in disgust at the Fanaus. People who say innocently racist things. People who look at racial discrimination and think it's okay. People who try justifying their racism (that AREN'T being general bitches like Weiss). This doesn't make racism good: this is still a moral failing. But it shows just how oppressive things are and why the WF would be so desperate. Because it's fucking NORMALIZED.