ENOUGH is enough.
For a further two weeks, the eco mob have attempted to hold the nation hostage and patience with their cause is turning to anger.
Locked to pipework and glued to roads, tankers and refinery gates, they have obstructed oil deliveries and blocked traffic, insisting their climate concerns outweigh all others.
Petrol stations have run dry in some areas, disrupting the Easter holiday getaway.
The police have arrested 400 protestors, but prosecutions are few and far between.
Ministers are promising injunctions, which can’t come soon enough for the law abiding majority.
Their frustration is extreme, especially as many of the protestors appear young, well-heeled and unencumbered by the need to get to work.
As with earlier eco demonstrators, their extreme conviction makes it impossible to reason with them.
This intolerance continues, with ‘Just Stop Oil’ promising a whole month of action, prompting calls for harsher penalties.
Lawful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, so how does one define what is legal and what is vexatious?
Personally, I think that line becomes clearer when large numbers of people are prevented from going about their lawful, everyday business.
The upcoming Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill will give the police more powers to clamp down on protests causing “serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community”.
“Intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance" will also become an offence, and not before time.
However, this new law will not prevent lawful and peaceful protest.
Finally, it’s significant that the UK is a world leader in reducing its carbon footprint.
Perhaps these activists would be better employed gluing themselves to Chinese coal-fired power stations.