I definitely do not think it's something to brag about - in the very next paragraph I point out that I believe this was too blunt an instrument. I do think it's worth contrasting with other recent responses to dissent, though, if anything to think about what and when would be appropriate.

Also, the government did not "shut down the dissent real quick". The protests went on for weeks without any reprisal. The shouts were shouted, the horns honked, the memes posted, the swastikas flown. The protesters got their fifteen minutes of fame and more. We all heard them speak, unfortunately it turned out they didn't have anything interesting to say.