Loonies on the March, page-73

It was only 100 or so people, which is a small number thankfully.

These protestors are people who feel powerless. It's not so much that they don't understand that the virus is deadly. They understand. It's more that they feel that if they don't wear one, they can feel powerful in their ability to put others' lives at risk. They will even put their own life at risk in order to feel some sense of power and control over others.