Protecting it from what?, in one post you're clearly stating that the eu wants free trade with the rest of the world, in fact you claim the eu are the most benevolent organisation in the world and they invented free trade, in the next post you concede they 'have' to 'protect the single market', make your mind up mate
You need to think about what you are writing.
Unfortunately you are showing exactly the typicalmproblem brexiteers have, they are fine repeating 'will of the people', but when it comes to trade their lack of knowledge makes their argument whither and die.
Your claim of protectionism is to do with tariffs, which is economic / political.
The single market is about regulatory alignment.
In order for goods to move freely within the single market, regulations and standards must be the same, or it wont work.
Surrounding the whole single market, there is a hard border. Every EU country can bring stuff in from a 3rd country - but they must follow a standard rule: that is the customs union.
The EU cant have a leaky border in Ireland: it risks that whole system falling down.
Sadly brexiteers are so ignorant of the incredible importance of regulations and rules - they are what allows trade to flow and are of more importance than tariffs.
Brexiteers dont understand or care about the huge significance of the single market and regulatory alignment, so they are ignorant of the huge complications if departing from regulatory alignment with our largest trade partner.
Please spend some time learning about it instead of screaming 'will of the people' every 2 minutes.
PS: and have a think about the single market and services.........exiting that, big minefield.