The witnesses said that the change did not have to be permanent. I think it was to try and preempt what Justin tried to do anyway. If he has enough witnesses he can do what he likes. He could take all their Steem and shut them out. There is no indication the witnesses would have expanded this action to anyone else, but he and Ned imply otherwise.
I see this as a battle between businessmen and idealists. The business guys want complete control by any means possible. That would make the blockchain pointless.
I'm not saying the witnesses were totally in the right, but the portrayal of them as money grabbers is disingenuous. Many don't even cover their costs.
It's a precarious situation as any of several big players could tip the balance in witness votes. I would hope the parties can keep talking and find some way to make Steem viable to continue.