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From Marches to M&Ms: The Evolution of Protest Culture
Onceuponatime,protestsshooknations,toppledregimes,andinspired poetry. People marched for civil rights, demanded an end to wars, or staged sit-ins that reshaped history itself. And now? Well, now, we’re debatingtheemotionaldepthofacandy-coatedmascot.Progress!
Take, for instance, the outrage over M&M’s “Spokescandies” in 2023. Apparently,theGreenM&Mtradedhersultrybootsforsneakers,sparking fury about... shoe politics. Forget income inequality or climate change; what we really need is justice for Green. Meanwhile, the Orange M&M bravely admitted to struggling with anxiety, a move that enraged some, becauseeveryoneknowscandiesshouldbecarefree,eveninthefaceof theirimpendingconsumption.
Of course, the creation of the Purple M&M, a “symbol of inclusivity,” pushedthingsovertheedge.“Inclusivity?Inmycandybowl?”screamed one critic, hurling a pack of Skittles across the room. They weren’t just angry; they were red-hot, much like the chili-filled chocolate nobody asked for. Protests erupted (online, naturally), demanding a return to simplertimeswhenmascotsweremascotsandtheonly“diversity”came intheformofpeanutvs.plain.
But this goes beyond M&Ms. It’s a broader trend where protests seem less about real change and more about performative outrage. Modern protesting often involves tweeting, subtweeting, and typing in all caps. Gone are the days of “give me liberty or give me death”; now it’s more “givemebootsorgivemesneakers.”
However, we shouldn’t dismiss all modern activism: there are many noblecausesoutthere. But when the loudest rallying cry of the week is “FreetheGreenM&M’sGo-GoBoots!”itmightbetimeforsomecollective soul-searching.
So, ashashtagstrendandcandywrappersflyinprotest, let’sremember that while sugary mascots may melt in our mouths, meaningful change doesn’t melt under pressure. That’s why, in this week’s issue, we will focusonprotest,andhowithasevolved.
4
The Exposure On Enclosure
The Situation 1549
Right so, back in the day around six hundred years ago when the king actually had power King Edward Vi had no power. See his dad Henry VIII (you might remember him) died when Ed was only nine when crowned so obviously someone had to be making decisions for him, Enter second Ed, Edward Seymor his maternal uncle. A right old schemer who became the effective ruler of England after election by the “regency council” (the bunch of people Henry appointed to rule after his death). So what’s the problem? Why does it matter if one or another autocrat leads the country? Well this schemer was immensely unpopular, all resulting in what is now called “The Kett’s Rebellion”. Imagine for a second your allotment, it’s got courgettes and new potatoes and all sorts of home-grown goodness to bolster your supermarket shop. Now Imagine that you can’t go to a shop, that all you can survive off is your allotment, but wait it gets worse, this is the standard for a medieval peasant, imagine that your allotment space gets destroyed and the space appropriated without any legal recourse. This is the reality in the events leading up to Kett’s rebellion, corn fields destroyed to make way for grazing land, the areas enclosed with hedges to deny public access. The nobles of the 1540s in a time of rising rents and grain prices actively destroying corn fields (MacCulloch, 1979), in this case how would you react, people would starve, but life was already quite tough and besides what could you do against the state. What’d They do?
Well, they protested, beginning to tear down the enclosing hedges and here enters Mr Robert Kett, a wealthy landowner and possibly tanner (Walter, 2004) whom found the people taking down his enclosures and decided “Hmm, I think these lads have the right idea” becoming their leader and apparently a smashing on. Kett’s discipline and force of personality is attributed mostly to him. Ironic that a peasant rebellion’s success is attributed to their wealthy (But not quite Gentle) leader. Now this group managed to gather around 16,000 to 20,000 men at a camp called Mousehold Heath (rather fitting) and managed to beat a royal army led by the Marquess of Northampton. This was not to last however as the second army sent did win the day, with thousands dead and many executed after the fact with Kett sent to the tower of London and eventually Hanged.
The Exposure On Enclosure
Wait, so why is this important?
So, Kett was executed, so thousands of the peasants died and the nothing really changed. Or did it? In the aftermath Somerset, smelling blood In the water after this massive cock-up kidnaps Edward Vi and sequesters him away in an attempt to hold onto power, this fails very quickly arrested demoted then executed. I just want to call attention to a few facts of the modern day, Half of England is owned by less than 1% of the population, (Evans, 2019), that house prices have hit a record high (Zoopla, 2025) but the number of homes for sale at this time of year is at an all-time high. Now am I saying we grab the pitchforks and start going for landlords, maybe, it all just depends on how long we’re all happy with this.
Reference List
King Edward VI
Evans, R. (2019) Half of England is owned by less than 1% of the population, The Guardian Available at: https://www theguardian com/money/2019/apr/17/who-ownsengland-thousand-secret-landowners-author.
House prices hit new record high (2025) Zoopla. Available at: https://www rightmove co uk/news/articles/property-news/house-prices-hit-recordhigh-april-2025/.
MacCulloch, D. (1979) ‘KETT’S REBELLION IN CONTEXT’, Past & present, 84(1), pp. 36–59. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/past/84.1.36.
Walter, J. (2004) ‘Robert Kett’, in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset
politics and world news
Britain Takes to the Streets (Again): A Nation
Powered by Protest and Pret
By Our Mildly Miffed Correspondent
It’s protest season in Britain once more, and the nation is doing what it does best: assembling in large numbers, holding up witty signs, and getting politely furious. Think Glasto but more civilised. From climate marches in Westminster to cost-of-living chants in Manchester, it seems there’s a protest for everyone whether you're outraged about oil, potholes, or the price of oat milk. One demonstrator summed it up: “I’m here for the cause… and the social life. It’s like a very angry picnic.”The government, true to form, responded by claiming it’s “taking concerns seriously” before quietly ignoring them. Meanwhile, police enjoyed a relatively calm weekend with glue incidents, just one man dressed as a bin shouting about broadband and a couple of ‘eccentric folk’ shouting about 5 G. Sociologists call it “a healthy sign of democracy.” Others call it “something to do on a Saturday.”Either way, it’s official: Britain may be broken, but it’s brilliantly vocal about it, at least it's not just a bunch of mildly pissed off teens complaining on X, at least they’re going outside.
As Britain marches, chants and grumbles its way through another week of political performance art, one thing is clear: protesting may not fix everything, but at least it gets us all out of the house. And in this economy, that’s a start.
politics and world news
Inspiration/Research
Climate Activism and Just Stop Oil
Just Stop Oil has announced plans for a significant blockade of Parliament in spring 2025, aiming to pressure the government into ending fossil fuel extraction by 2030. This follows a period of reduced activity due to the imprisonment of several key members.
Greenpeace Demonstration at US Embassy
On April 10, 2025, Greenpeace UK's co-director, Will McCallum, was arrested after pouring red dye into a pond at the US Embassy in London. The protest aimed to highlight opposition to US arms sales to Israel amidst the Gaza conflict.
Farmer Protests Against Tax Reforms
UK farmers have been protesting proposed inheritance tax reforms, with demonstrations including tractor convoys in London and other regions. These actions reflect concerns over the financial impact of the government's agricultural policies.
JUST STOP OIL:
SAVING THE PLANET OR JUST STOPPING TRAFFIC?
In neon vests and superglue, they’ve stormed art galleries, airports, and asphalt. But while the ecoactivist group Just Stop Oil has made headlines (and enemies), the burning question remains: Are they actually making a difference, or just making noise?
PROTEST OR PEST?
To some, they're climate crusaders. To others, public nuisances with too much glue and not enough policy. Since their inception in 2022, Just Stop Oil has glued themselves to priceless paintings, blocked traffic on major motorways, and interrupted everything from football matches to fashion week. Their goal? A total end to new oil and gas licenses in the UK. Their message is simple: the world is burning, and fossil fuels are the match. But their methods? Not so simple. In April 2025, protesters blocked all lanes of the M25 for six hours, enraging thousands of drivers, including a bride late to her own wedding and a man with a kidney enroute to surgery (reportedly, both made it, but only just).
JUST STOP OIl
HEADLINES OR HEADWAY?
The stats are as sticky as their protest tactics. According to climate policy analysts, the UK government has not significantly shifted its stance on new oil and gas exploration since Just Stop Oil's high-profile campaigns began. In fact, in 2024, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak doubled down, granting new drilling licenses in the North Sea.
But here’s the twist: public awareness of oil-related climate issues has skyrocketed. A 2025 Ipsos poll found 73% of Britons could identify Just Stop Oil and 45% said it made them think more critically about climate change, even if they “hated the methods.”
So while they may not be rewriting energy policy just yet, they are reshaping the national conversation, for better or worse.
THE SPLIT VERDICT
Critics say Just Stop Oil alienates the very public they need to convince. Supporters argue the civil disobedience is a wake-up call, annoying, yes, but necessary. "The suffragettes weren’t polite," notes activist and JSO spokesperson Tara Greene. "Disruption gets remembered. Quiet lobbying gets ignored."
Meanwhile, some insiders say the group’s next phase could target oil company shareholders and investors directly, potentially moving from blocking roads to blocking profits.
THE FINAL WORD?
Just Stop Oil may not have stopped oil, yet, but they've certainly stopped indifference. Whether history remembers them as heroes or highway hazards depends on what happens next: do they push policy, or just more buttons? Until then, the planet, and the public, wait.
sports
“Sir Jim Ratcliffe Is a Puppet!”
World renowned Manchester United Expert mark Goldbridge shares his thoughts on the new stadium.
For those who haven’t heard, Manchester United have recently unveiled plans to knock down the historic Old Trafford and build a brand-new state of the art stadium. Co-Owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe states “Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.” The new stadium will be called ‘New Trafford’. It will seat 100,000 fans, cost £2 Billion, become the tallest building in Manchester and be visible from the Peak District.
The plans go further than just a stadium and are part of a wider regeneration project of the Old Trafford area, hoping to create a sports-led urban district.
The build comes with the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs, over 17,000 new homes and will lead to millions of additional visitors each year, bringing an absurd amount of money into the club.
sports
But reactions to the news have been mixed, some are happy, many are not. Perhaps one man’s opinion matters more than the rest, and he is not impressed.
Mark Goldbridge, the respected and loved Expert says, “it’s a sad day for Manchester united”. He talks about the outrage of demolishing the iconic old Trafford “something that should never be knocked down, is being knocked down”.
“The reason I support Manchester United is my Grandad, whilst I’m obviously not happy that he’s not here anymore at least he doesn’t have to witness today”
The ground is such a deep and embedded part of the club and adored by fans and respected by opponents. Goldbridge says the stadium still takes his breath away every time he sees it. He’s not alone. Club legend Gary Neville led a taskforce pushing for the redevelopment of the current stadium but was ultimately dismissed.
Clearly unhappy with the management of his belove club, He fittingly points out the new stadium “looks like a circus and we are run like one” With Mark so strongly against the plans I think we can all expect the project to now fall through.
image sources
Cover Background (page 1) - Ted Eytan
Just Stop Oil 1 (page 3) - Alisdare Hickson
Protest 1 (page 3) - Nick Efford
King Edward VI (page 5) - NPG
Duke of Somerset (page 5) - NPG
Protest 2 (page 6) - Ted Eytan
Just Stop Oil 2 (page 8) - Heute.at
Sir Jim Ratcliffe photo (page 10) - Heute.at
Images under Creative Commons License