Essential Report
Agreement with Protests in America
Q. In the United States of America, protesters accuse law enforcement officers of using excessive force towards African-Americans following the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died whilst he was being arrested. A policeman has been charged with third-degree murder following his death.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
NET: Agree | NET: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | Unsure | |
Protestors are right to demand better protection and treatment of African Americans in society | 80% | 11% | 50% | 30% | 5% | 5% | 9% |
Authorities in America have been unwilling to deal with institutional racism in the past, and that is why incidents like this continue to occur | 78% | 10% | 50% | 28% | 6% | 4% | 12% |
Incidents like this are only part of the wider discrimination against minority cultures in society | 72% | 16% | 42% | 30% | 9% | 7% | 12% |
The protesters want to loot and cause property damage, more than they want social change | 54% | 33% | 30% | 24% | 17% | 17% | 12% |
Incidents like this are isolated and do not provide evidence of institutional racism in police forces | 33% | 54% | 13% | 20% | 26% | 28% | 12% |
NET: Agree | Total | Federal Voting Intention | |||
Labor | Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Protestors are right to demand better protection and treatment of African Americans in society | 80% | 84% | 80% | 83% | 77% |
Authorities in America have been unwilling to deal with institutional racism in the past, and that is why incidents like this continue to occur | 78% | 81% | 77% | 88% | 77% |
Incidents like this are only part of the wider discrimination against minority cultures in society | 72% | 77% | 71% | 76% | 72% |
The protesters want to loot and cause property damage, more than they want social change | 54% | 49% | 65% | 29% | 59% |
Incidents like this are isolated and do not provide evidence of institutional racism in police forces | 33% | 28% | 44% | 20% | 30% |
Base (n) | 1,073 | 325 | 419 | 90 | 136 |
- The majority of participants agree that protestors are right to demand better protection and treatment of African Americans in society (80%), authorities in America have been unwilling to deal with institutional racism in the past, and that is why incidents like this continue to occur (78%) and incidents like this are only part of the wider discrimination against minority cultures in society (72%).
- 54% agree that the protesters want to loot and cause property damage, more than they want social change and 33% agree that incidents like this are isolated and do not provide evidence of institutional racism in police forces.
- Participants over 55 and those with dependent children are more likely to agree that the protesters want to loot and cause property damage, more than they want social change (60% and 61%) compared to 18-34 year olds (47%) and those without children (51%).
- Men (38%), 18-34 year olds (38%), those with a university education (39%), on a high household income (42%) or with dependent children (40%) are more likely to agree that incidents like this are isolated and do not provide evidence of institutional racism in police forces; than women (29%), 55+ year olds (28%), those with a secondary education (28%), on a low household income (31%) or without dependent children (29%).
- While a similar proportion of Coalition voters (80%) compared to all other voters (83%), agree that protestors are right to demand better protection and treatment of African Americans in society – they are less likely to ‘strongly agree’ with this statement (40% compared to 59% of all other voters).
- Coalition voters are also more likely to agree with the negative statements than other voters – with 65% agreeing that the protesters want to loot and cause property damage, more than they want social change (47% all other voters) and 44% agreeing that incidents like this are isolated and do not provide evidence of institutional racism in police forces (27% all other voters).

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