Just Stop Oil donor admits tactics are FAILING and 'counterproductive'

The Californian entrepreneur, who is a primary funder of both JSO and Extinction Rebellion, raised concerns about the direction of the movement.

He stepped down as the fund’s chairman in 2021 but has now spoken out as he believes the protests have become “disruption for the sake of disruption”.

“Working people that are trying to get to their job, get their kid dropped off at school, survive a brutal cost of living crisis... there’s a certain hierarchy of needs that they have," he told The Sunday Times.

“If, at the same time, they have a pink-haired, tattooed and pierced protester standing in front of their car, so that their kid is late for their test that day, that does not encourage them to join the movement.

“It’s just performative. It’s not accomplishing anything.”

Neilson said he “absolutely believed” the movement had become counterproductive.

Taking to social media later, he added: “I don’t know what the answer is, but I respectfully believe this approach is not working.”

The majority of the funding for the group comes from the CEF, which was set up to fund climate activism, according to the JSO website.

Margaret Klein Salamon, the organisation’s executive director, said she “strongly disagrees” with Neilson.

She said disruptive activism is “the single most effective force in terms of moving the conversation”.

“We are sleepwalking off a cliff and the activists are waking us up. You’d rather do that than walk off the cliff,” she added.

On Thursday, JSO protesters were sprayed with water from a balcony while taking part in a slow march in north London.

One passer-by shouted that they were trying to pick up their children.

The woman said: “You think this is acceptable? Now I’m late, you idiots."