The question Tim George asks is such a profound one that it became almost the standard debate among historians (when? 100 years ago?). It is usually called the "great man" debate, and although it centered on national leaders rather than local activists, the question was exactly the same--do the times call forth the leaders, or do the leaders create their times.
So far as I know nobody ever settled this debate, so you are on your own. I think you can pursue both sides of it. A reasonable answer might be that the problem would have reemerged regardless, but the timing, the strategy followed by the victims, and possibly the outcome would have been different. If you remember Kingdon, problems, solutions, and choice opportunities come from different streams. i] An explanation you don't mention is that the first attempt "failed" to solve the problem in some sense, and maybe also that the problem got "worse."