Sure. I just happen to agree with the author's reading and disagree with yours. You're placing a very high weight on relatively mild side effects (a small amount of political dissent and violence), and a low weight on the main effects (a reduction in R0 for the duration of the measures).
One bomb, which would have killed maybe low-single-digit numbers of people if it had worked; and a demonstration which erased the effects of maybe a half a week of compulsory mask-wearing.
One bomb, which would have killed maybe low-single-digit numbers of people if it had worked; and a demonstration which erased the effects of maybe a half a week of compulsory mask-wearing.