A few smashed windows is not a riot, nor nationwide riots, nor requiring doing what Cotton advocated. Popularity is certainly not at all a reason to suppress liberty.

I witnessed some of the 'riots'; what I saw was perfectly safe except for a very small physical area - maybe spots of, very approximately, 50 sq ft - and even there you were probably safe.

There was no danger to the public, some danger to some windows. I've seen worse in team victory celebrations. I saw much worse at the Capitol, where they were beating people and some died.