It was perhaps a case of 'sorry, but not sorry' after Extinction Rebellion's slow cycle protest once against brought rush-hour traffic to Newcastle to a crawl.
The group apologised for causing delays, but insisted a looming climate "emergency" forced them into action,
"Being a little bit late for work is a minor problem compared to the threat we are facing," said spokesman Nick Morphet.
However the nature of Friday's protest drew a mixed response on Twitter.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) members carried placards and shouting slogans like "global warming, global warming, pay attention" and "air pollution has got to go".
The cyclists started at Newcastle Racecourse at 7.15am and were joined by more protesters at Regent Centre. They then made their way along Gosforth High Street and into Newcastle City Centre, eventually stopping outside the Civic Centre at around 8.45am.
Along the way, drivers suffered disruption as traffic slowed down behind the group, especially on Gosforth High Street where the cyclists took up an entire lane.
Traffic was also temporarily stopped at a roundabout to let the cyclists pass through.
The protesters apologised for the inconvenience caused and emphasised the importance of their campaign.
But Mr Morphet said: "We are facing a climate emergency and we need central and local government to help us deal with the emergency.
"There are far too many cars on the roads. The transport sector is responsible for 26% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions. We need Government help to get out of our cars, to get on our bikes, to walk, to use public transport.
"But Newcastle City Council aren't doing enough to improve the cycling infrastructure to help people leave their cars at home.
"We apologise for the inconvenience that we've caused but we felt obliged to do it. We are facing a climate emergency that could lead to societal breakdown.
Outside the Civic Centre, the campaigners staged a 'die-in' where they lay on the ground pretending to die from the effects of climate change.
Jo Ellis, 43, from Fenham, was there with her two-year-old son Sandy.
She said: "We have known for a long time that we need to cut emissions from all sources. What's happened over the years is that we have seen some progress in other sectors in the economy but not in transport.
"We are not being provided with a reasonable alternative to the private car. The real issue is that we need a safe space for cycling. People are actually forced into driving."
She also apologised for the traffic disruption caused by the protest.
She added: "We don't want to upset people but we feel it's important to make as much noise as possible in order to raise awareness about the crisis we are facing."
During the demonstration, people took to social media to air their views, some worried about the traffic delays.
One man said on Twitter: "Why are they being allowed to do this? Nothing better to do than disrupt people's day? Clearly don't have jobs, no care for people who may be in trouble if this makes them late for work as well as things like Dr's appointments or childcare."
Another added: "Causing more pollution while people wait in their running vehicles...because they need to get to places!"
However others backed the campaigners.
One Twitter user said: "Good on them, raising important issues like less air pollution, better infrastructure for cycling, and global warming."
