As the global climate crisis worsens, activist groups across Europe have become increasingly aggressive in their demonstration tactics. Their methods have been condemned as “completely unacceptable” by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and at least one MP has called for certain environmental organisations to be labelled as “terrorist groups.” In a remark highlighting the ideological schism between these environmentalists and the state, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman labelled protestors “the tofu-eating wokerati.” 

Just Stop Oil, the most well known of these collectives, first rose to prominence in March of 2022 with protests disrupting sporting events, vandalising businesses, and blocking oil supply routes. Their demands? That the UK government cease all fossil fuel licensing and production agreements.

The demonstrations indeed provoked the government into taking action, albeit not in the...