given how Pilate had - before and after Jesus showed up - spared no expense to violently put down troublemakers (even to the point of infiltrating his troops into a local riot), I doubt Pilot would have spared Him.
Well, Pilate's interest was in crushing any anti-Roman activity; IIRC he felt that Jesus was a Jewish affair that didn't affect Rome one way or the other. Don't forget the whole "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's" statement by Jesus when the Jews asked about paying Roman taxes; as I recall he didn't seem to be anti-Roman in his message.