I think this author is overly simplistic and dismissive. I don't see them illustrating a "proper" way of protesting, in fact seeming to go as far as saying that protests themselves are useless. And with that I firmly disagree. Many changes in our society only came about due to protest (and usually "nuissance" protest, as nobody changes for a protest that can be ignored).
That doesn't mean all protests are for good or worthy causes, but protests are a way for anyone who may not have power otherwise, to help influence society.
the UK saw nationwide anti-immigration riots in which cars were flipped over and buildings set aflame.
as though civil unrest was somehow something new in the four lions.
This is a part of the world with literal centuries of troubles, unrest, civil wars, cross border fighting, wreckers destroying looms in protest, soldiers on horseback charging public crowds and killing civilians, etc.
They're either unaware of them or deliberately excluded them, given this hilarious quote:
"The Civil Rights movement succeeded because it was guided by leaders who had clear, specific, and realistic goals, and were able to negotiate to achieve them"
This genre of essay appeals to self-adulating moderates who deeply enjoy respectability politics and pretending to be stoics, though, so the author is just staying on brand.
maybe also the weird logic in this quote shows a discreet bias:
"""Generally, the Left-wing approach is more effective at getting attention; it took mass destruction by hundreds of Right-wingers in Southport to make news headlines, but it only took two Just Stop Oil activists with orange paint at Heathrow to achieve the same"""
Clearly the Southport event thugs were not planning to stop breaking stuff once a certain level of public awareness and news reporting was achieved...
Well they quite literally have a paywalled post entitled "Why I stopped being a leftist" which is sure to be as compelling as the other seventy times it was written by others.
That doesn't mean all protests are for good or worthy causes, but protests are a way for anyone who may not have power otherwise, to help influence society.