A lot more free than say Germany in the 1930s? Personally, I think we underestimate the sheer size, scope and momentum behind the machine that is the state.
ah, good that we've got a benchmark, we're good then
It's not a benchmark. It's a point to show that at some point individuals can't stop the giant machinery of the state even though individuals disagree. Some police tried in Germany, I'm sure, a lot of them died most likely and still look what managed to happen.