The Isle of Portland has become the latest victim of the growing instability in the middle east.
Spurred on by recent events in Egypt and Libya, protesters on the tiny island are said to have occupied the main square - a car-park behind the village hall - in their severals.
Reports are also coming in of panic buying at the Island's only shop, leading to Vera the manager having to put out both of the store-room's remaining loaves of bread a day earlier than normal. "I never seen the like of it" she said; "We had two customers in this morning and another three after lunch".
One of the protesters, raising his voice above the sound of a dog barking in the distance, said "Portland will not let the spirit of revolution pass us by - we will oust our corrupt rulers just as Mubarak and Gaddafi are being ousted by our brothers and sisters in the middle east".
The protester said that it was only a matter of time before the tyranny of the regime - typified by the introduction of car parking charges outside the post-office - met its match in the iron will of the people.
A spokesman for the local council said that they might make limited concessions in response to the protesters' demands, which are thought to include the possible re-introduction of a weekly bus service and a pledge to "do something about the dog mess outside the shops".
Amid a tense stand-off lasting well into the afternoon, it was unclear whether these measures would prove sufficient to appease the revolutionaries. "The people's appetite for reform remains insatiable" said a second protester, using his home-made placard to shelter from the cold February drizzle.
