There were protests in July, prior to the seasons starting. Protests haven't really stopped at all.
In the summer of 2021, the 'owner' did not provide a '1.8 budget'. The club were under a Premier League transfer embargo for breaching Profit & Sustainability rules. The club needed permission before signing players. It caused embarrassment to the Premier League and Everton were forbidden from signing players without permission. They eventually signed Gray and Townsend for £1.7 million (for Gray specifically).