But these protests rub me the wrong way. And it has nothing to do with my position on vaccines (which may surprise you). As a conservative, I’ve always viscerally disliked disruptive protests—particularly the kind that metastasize into (or begin with) lawlessness…

Occupations, sit-ins, and traffic blockades also have a way of scaring and inconveniencing totally innocent people. There’s currently an injunction, bringing an end to the almost constant horn honking that was plaguing Ottawa, but just imagine if you were unlucky enough to live near this mess.

Another problem anytime you get this many “protesters” together is a crowd psychology where people quit identifying as individuals. Whether it’s a group of activists chasing Ted Cruz out of a DC restaurant, rioters at the U.S. Capitol, a cancel-culture mob trying to take down a comedian, or a convoy of trucks, if you’re not careful, a crowd can turn into a mob..

This is where it gets messy and confusing. While conservatives generally fear anyone wielding pitchforks and brandishing lanterns, right-wing populism is different—which is why I think we have the rise of this sort of behavior on the Trumpian right today (I didn’t love the Tea Party movement, but at least it didn’t engage in mob violence or intimidation).