The people who attacked him don’t have conversations without guidance from their manhigim. They determine where to shop, where to daven, what side of the street to walk on based on the guidance of their manhigim.
And their Manhigim tell them what they want to hear, or they stop being their Manhigim. Case in point is Rav Shteinman, who got the same items thrown at him due to “supporting” Nachal Charaidi, and is continuing to be marginalized in the current “draft” crisis.
It is like many other government laws. They are on the books assuming the government agrees not to enforce them.