Mobs, like the one that attacked our Capitol Building yesterday, are not agents of protest. Rather, they are designed to instill fear and to deliver punishment for perceived injustice, real or imagined. Those who incite, justify and unleash mob action, unlike those who lead protests, rarely participate in the mob activity, preferring to delegate power and look on from a safe distance (e.g. the White House).
Mobs are generally led by a relatively small group of "skilled" militia members, often dressed in military garb and equipped with weapons, who, yesterday, broke down barriers, scaled walls, smashed doors and windows and ransacked the Capitol. In their wake, the majority of the mob, aggrieved for a variety of reasons, file in and wander about, giving high fives, taking selfies, waving flags and choosing not to engage in illegal activity (beyond trespassing, of course).
Depending on the country in which mob activity occurs (and on the degree of democracy that exists), those who incite and lead the mob are subject to prosecution. The "followers" within the mob are generally left to suffer from the ridicule delivered by the media and the public at large, forever associated with the consequences of the violent event.
