It's time British people stood up for themselves. And the protesters, angry at UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's refusal to follow the French government in making concessions, are confident they have the support of the public. Certainly members of the public were showing their support for demonstrators outside BP Amoco's gigantic refinery at Grangemouth, on the Firth of Forth in Scotland. As passing drivers honked their support, local people handed out mugs of vegetable soup to guard against the chilly autumn day. It's a load of rubbish.
Some motorists are less certain of the demonstrators' determination.
I suspect it'll blow over soon because people in this country are fickle. Her friend Fiona Wall is hoping that is the case. She is getting married in Manchester on Saturday. Tony Blair's hard line has won support from environmentalists. But the Prime Minister may be mistaken if he believes, as he said on Tuesday, that the British people understand the government cannot change policy in response to illegal blockades.