When I'm in a parking lot turning left onto a main street (US, drive on the right side of the road), and a car is coming down the street, [maybe] turning right into the same parking lot, I won't pull out into the street in front of them until I can see them decelerating. The risk that they aren't turning and would then T-bone me is too high.
Heck, even if the turn signal is on, I'll wait, unless I know I saw it previously off for that car (in case they're driving with their signal on, not intending to turn)
It's a protest. Showing how dangerous the streets are to cyclists (and how many cyclists use the roads) is the message. A protest that challenges law and inconveniences people peacefully is how they garner attention (hopefully as a prelude to change and improvements).
So yeah, ignoring a lot of traffic laws.