I don’t think I have ever seen any masked protest that didn’t devolve into rioting or violence in some way.
That is obviously not exclusive to masked protests, but most unmasked protests I have seen then to be be peaceful.
It is almost as if hiding their identity makes people less restrained.
I am going to posit that this says more about your media, and how it is shaping your perceptions in line with someone’s agenda.
“My government is totally fine with protesting, but our media makes it seem as though any masked protest is a precursor to a riot, so I argue against people protesting in masks, but it’s not that the government wants me to argue that and has shaped the media to ensure I do, it’s actually just my free and un-manipulated opinion!”
Meh, it is obvious that media shapes everyones viewpoint, the same goes for you.