Italy’s draconian vaccine laws are terrifyingly popular

As an Italian in Italy:

"Draconian" ... "terrifyingly popular"

should be changed to:

"Necessary" ... "reasonably accepted"

I think the author misunderstands the Italians' attitude (based on the people I chatted to while I was there recently). The "novaxers" as they're called are seen as dangerous kooks, and would lose a popularity contest against… against almost anything.

The laws aren't seen as dangerous to liberty, but rather as a defense of it, in the sense that practical liberty was significantly constrained during the lockdowns and the kooks are risking another corona wave.

“Virtually no one heeded calls to blockade major railway stations on 1 September when the ban was extended to long distance travel. Large numbers of police waited in vain.”

That's because news outlets are ignoring the real protests, so when they try to promote “a blockade” everybody knows it's a trap. Hence, large numbers of police waited in vain.