Just Stop Oil is a climate activist group that has been using disruptive tactics to draw attention to the issue of climate change. Their actions have included blocking roads, pouring soup on famous paintings, and chaining themselves to oil tankers.

Some people believe that these tactics are effective in raising awareness of the climate crisis, while others argue that they are alienating the public and turning people away from the cause. There is some evidence to support both of these claims.

Evidence that radical protests can raise awareness

* A study by the University of California, Berkeley found that people who were exposed to news coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings were more likely to donate to a charity that supported the protests.

* A study by the University of Oxford found that people who were exposed to news coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests were more likely to believe that the system is rigged against the average person and to support progressive economic policies.

* A study by the University of Michigan found that people who were exposed to news coverage of the Black Lives Matter protests were more likely to believe that black lives matter and to support policies to address racial inequality.

Evidence that radical protests can alienate the public

* A study by the Pew Research Center found that a majority of Americans (62%) believe that climate change is a major threat to the United States, but only a small minority (13%) believe that climate change is the most important issue facing the country.

* A study by the University of Chicago found that people who were exposed to news coverage of the Tea Party protests were more likely to vote for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

* A study by the University of Washington found that people who were exposed to news coverage of the Anti-Vietnam War protests were more likely to support the war.

Conclusion

The evidence suggests that radical protests can both raise awareness of a cause and alienate the public. The effectiveness of these tactics is likely to depend on the specific context in which they are used.

In the case of Just Stop Oil, it is too early to say whether their tactics will be effective in the long run. However, there is some evidence to suggest that they are raising awareness of the climate crisis and mobilizing people to take action.