I think the police have a difficult balance between:
- defending the right of people to protest, vs
- the right of others to engage in normal activity without being unreasonably inconvenienced
"Unreasonable" is a matter of circumstance and judgement. It is likely there will be no consensus on the right balance - at an extreme:
- some would argue that the climate issue is so real and profound that all tactics are acceptable to achieve change - a real revolutionary zeal where no actions are off the agenda.
- others regard it as unacceptable that business, jobs and lives are put at risk by the disruption; that violently dragging protestors off the road for immediate incarceration is the best policy response.
Just Stop Oil have a very legitimate point to make re climate change, but their actions are alienating far more of the public than garnering support. They need to find a different way.
The balance struck by the police will respond to some extent to both political and public opinion - many will be pleased that the police are now acting with resolve rather than the "give them a cup of coffee" tactics that sometimes previously prevailed.
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