I started a mini-riot in San Diego today.  I was eating a banana outside of 7-11 and a cop walked past me to pick on a hobo for drinking a coffee. He was yelling at the homeless guy for loitering.  I was like "I'm loitering then".  I probably should have looked at my clothes first before saying that.  Old teeshirt, cargo pants and worn out sneakers.  Luckily a few more homeless people starting chiming in, so the cop walked off.  

This is very similar to how religion works.  If more people feel the same way about something, they can intimidate the rest into following or shutting up.