Indeed, Jaclyn says that those in attendance kept the protest silent and there were requests that, if Britney were to appear publicly, that people kept the phones and cameras away. “There were efforts made to show solidarity with her and not to intrude on her life further,” she added.

One fan who attended the protest, Junior Olivas, said he did so because he doesn’t believe that she meets the criteria for the conservatorship. “We also know that she wants out of this conservatorship, but nobody listens to her,” he says. “Nobody hears her! She’s been stuck in this for so long and now it’s time for her to fight for her freedom and we are here with her. If Britney decides she wants to retire for good then we are okay with that. If Britney decides she wants to continue working then we are okay with that, too. But it has to be what Britney wants.”

“A conservatorship is a tool,” says Elaine Renoire, the president of the National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse, an advocacy group that aims to protect the human and civil rights of those placed in unlawful and abusive guardianships and conservatorships.

Renoire explains that, whilst in Britney’s case there is no suggestion of financial exploitation, conservatorships have been used for financial gain and can be a tool for control.“So if Britney was put in the corner [regarding her children],” she adds, “she probably agreed to it thinking that it wouldn't be as bad as it is. But she gets in there and then can't even control her own money? That's crazy.”

While no Californian legal experts replied for comment regarding conservatorships, Tess of Britney’s Gram did say that, despite Britney’s status as legally incompetent, she did now have joint custody of her children with her ex-husband Kevin Federline. “That's another area where there's a disconnect,” she adds. “It happens often that there are people who are placed in conservatorships like hers and they do lose custody of their kids. But nothing like that happened with Britney. She's not considered a legal adult, but she's also the guardian of two children.”

It’s another incongruity that Renoire suggests signals that Britney’s conservatorship has hung around longer than necessary. “There was no reason for them to close it because she was making all this money,” she adds.

“What would happen if she was let out of the conservatorship today?” adds Miller. “I suspect a lot of the people who are currently working with her may not be anymore.” Elaine Renoire described conservatorships as: “A lifetime sentence. Once they've got you, you don't get out.”

There might be a schism in the Britney fandom about how far fans should go when it comes to advocating for their favourite popstar. But everyone is on the same page, it seems, when it comes to the status of the conservatorship. Regardless of whether you believe that Britney was held against her will or whether it’s just outlasted its welcome, the situation surrounding the conservatorship stinks. As Miller asks, “If she didn't have millions and millions of dollars, would this still be happening to her?”