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Protest Activity
Q. Have you personally ever taken part in any of the following…?
| Total | Gender | Age | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| Signed an online petition | 44% | 39% | 48% | 45% | 44% | 42% |
| Signed a written petition | 39% | 37% | 41% | 33% | 34% | 50% |
| Attended a march or rally | 17% | 18% | 16% | 24% | 12% | 16% |
| Gone on strike from work | 13% | 18% | 8% | 13% | 10% | 14% |
| Signed up to an online political campaign | 10% | 11% | 10% | 16% | 9% | 7% |
| None of these | 37% | 39% | 35% | 31% | 41% | 39% |
| NET: Any of these | 63% | 61% | 65% | 69% | 59% | 61% |
| Base (n) | 1,075 | 526 | 549 | 327 | 371 | 377 |
- Almost two-thirds (63%) of people have ever participated in a protest activity – either attending a strike or rally, or signing up to a petition or campaign.
- Signing online and written petitions are the most popular forms of protest (44% and 39% respectively have done this). Less than a fifth have ever a march or rally (17%) and 13% have been on strike.
- Women are more likely than men to have signed petitions (48% to 39% for online petitions and 41% to 37% for written petitions), while men are more likely to have been on strike (18% to 8%).
- People aged 18-34 are more likely than other to have attended a protest or rally (24% compared to 14% of those aged 35+).
| Total | Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | ||
| Signed an online petition | 44% | 43% | 37% | 71% | 59% |
| Signed a written petition | 39% | 37% | 39% | 51% | 50% |
| Attended a march or rally | 17% | 16% | 13% | 43% | 21% |
| Gone on strike from work | 13% | 17% | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Signed up to an online political campaign | 10% | 11% | 9% | 18% | 13% |
| None of these | 37% | 38% | 39% | 18% | 31% |
| NET: Any of these | 63% | 62% | 61% | 82% | 69% |
| Base (n) | 1,075 | 325 | 377 | 107 | 155 |
- Greens voters are most likely to have participated in any activity (82%), with signing online petitions (71%), written petitions (51%) and attending marches or rallies (43%) being most popular.
- Those with a university education are more likely to have participated in protest activities are (69% to 60% of all others). They are more likely to have attended a march or rally (24% to 14%), gone on strike (18% to 10%) and signed up to an online campaign (16% to 8%).
Support for Right to Protest laws
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements regarding the right to protest in Australia?
| NET: Agree | NET: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | Unsure | |
| The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of a democratic society | 82% | 10% | 51% | 31% | 7% | 3% | 9% |
| Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it disrupts businesses | 58% | 31% | 26% | 32% | 17% | 15% | 11% |
| Protestors should have the right to pressure banks not to invest in companies that are building coal mines | 53% | 33% | 23% | 30% | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it is contrary to the national interest | 47% | 41% | 20% | 28% | 22% | 19% | 12% |
- A large majority of people agree that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of a democratic society (82%), with half (51%) strongly agreeing.
- 58% agree that the Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it disrupts businesses (31% disagree), and 53% agree that protestors should have the right to pressure banks not to invest in companies that are building coal mines (33% disagree).
- Agreement was split for the statement ‘Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it is contrary to the national interest’ with 47% agreeing, and 41% disagreeing.
| NET: AGREE | Total | Gender | Age | ||||
| Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | |||
| The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of a democratic society | 82% | 84% | 79% | 75% | 83% | 86% | |
| Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it disrupts businesses | 58% | 60% | 56% | 54% | 58% | 62% | |
| Protestors should have the right to pressure banks not to invest in companies that are building coal mines | 53% | 54% | 52% | 60% | 52% | 48% | |
| Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it is contrary to the national interest | 47% | 50% | 45% | 41% | 48% | 52% | |
| Base (n) | 1,075 | 526 | 549 | 327 | 371 | 377 | |
- Older respondents (those aged over 55) were more likely than younger people (18-34) to agree that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of a democratic society (86% to 75%), that the Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it disrupts businesses (62% to 54%), and that the Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it is contrary to the national interest (52% to 41%).
- Over 55s are less likely to agree that protestors should have the right to pressure banks not to invest in companies that are building coal mines (60% to 48%).
| NET: AGREE | Total | Voting Intention | Protest Activity | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | Participated in protest activity | Not participated in protest activity | ||
| The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of a democratic society | 82% | 84% | 86% | 89% | 85% | 87% | 72% |
| Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it disrupts businesses | 58% | 48% | 78% | 33% | 61% | 58% | 59% |
| Protestors should have the right to pressure banks not to invest in companies that are building coal mines | 53% | 60% | 47% | 80% | 49% | 60% | 41% |
| Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it is contrary to the national interest | 47% | 39% | 65% | 22% | 49% | 47% | 49% |
| Base (n) | 1,075 | 325 | 377 | 107 | 155 | 682 | 393 |
- Coalition voters were most likely to agree that the Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it disrupts businesses (78%) and that the Government has the right to limit citizen protests when it is contrary to the national interest (65%). However they were least likely to agree that protestors should have the right to pressure banks not to invest in companies that are building coal mines (47%).
- Those who have participated in a protest activity are more likely than those who have not to agree with the statements ‘The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental part of a democratic society’ (87% to 72%) and ‘Protestors should have the right to pressure banks not to invest in companies that are building coal mines oppose the proposed changes’ (46% to 27%).
Support for Right to Protest laws
Q. Scott Morrison has flagged changing the law to stop environmental and other civil society groups or consumers campaigning against big resource projects. This change could make consumer or environmental boycotts illegal.
Based on what you understand, to what extent do you support or oppose the Prime Minister’s proposal?
| Gender | Age | |||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | |
| Strongly support | 14% | 18% | 11% | 12% | 11% | 19% |
| Somewhat support | 19% | 20% | 18% | 23% | 16% | 18% |
| Neither support, nor oppose | 28% | 24% | 31% | 29% | 33% | 22% |
| Somewhat oppose | 15% | 13% | 17% | 12% | 18% | 15% |
| Strongly oppose | 24% | 25% | 23% | 24% | 22% | 26% |
| NET: Support | 33% | 38% | 29% | 35% | 27% | 37% |
| NET: Oppose | 39% | 38% | 40% | 36% | 40% | 41% |
| Base (n) | 1,075 | 526 | 549 | 327 | 371 | 377 |
- Overall, there was more opposition to support for the Government’s proposals stop environmental and other civil society groups or consumers campaigning against big resource projects (39% to 33%). 28% neither support nor oppose the proposals.
- Support was highest among men (38%) and those aged 55+ (37%).
| Total | Voting Intention | Protest Activity | ||||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | NET: Other | Participated in protest activity | Not participated in protest activity | |||
| Strongly support | 14% | 9% | 26% | 1% | 11% | 15% | 13% | |
| Somewhat support | 19% | 15% | 30% | 11% | 13% | 16% | 23% | |
| Neither support, nor oppose | 28% | 27% | 24% | 13% | 30% | 22% | 37% | |
| Somewhat oppose | 15% | 17% | 12% | 18% | 18% | 16% | 14% | |
| Strongly oppose | 24% | 32% | 8% | 57% | 29% | 31% | 13% | |
| NET: Support | 33% | 24% | 56% | 12% | 23% | 31% | 36% | |
| NET: Oppose | 39% | 49% | 20% | 76% | 47% | 46% | 27% | |
| Base (n) | 1,075 | 325 | 377 | 107 | 155 | 682 | 393 | |
- Just over half of Coalition voters support the Government’s proposals (56%). The proposal receives lower support among Labor (24%), Greens (12%), and minor party/independent voters (23%).
- Those who have participated in a protest activity are more likely than those who have not to oppose the proposed changes (46% to 27%).
Right to protest
Q. Do you think it should be legal or illegal to stage a protest in the following places?
|
Legal |
Illegal |
Don’t know |
Vote Labor |
Vote Lib/Nat |
Vote Greens |
Vote Other |
||
|
Outside Parliament House |
72% |
15% |
12% |
78% |
67% |
89% |
80% |
|
|
On a city street |
71% |
16% |
14% |
74% |
68% |
87% |
74% |
|
|
Outside a private business |
49% |
33% |
18% |
58% |
39% |
69% |
59% |
|
|
At a train station |
43% |
41% |
16% |
49% |
36% |
65% |
47% |
|
|
Outside a church |
42% |
41% |
17% |
48% |
32% |
70% |
45% |
|
|
Outside a public figure’s house (i.e. politician or celebrity) |
34% |
50% |
16% |
38% |
25% |
50% |
43% |
|
|
Outside a school |
32% |
54% |
15% |
35% |
25% |
50% |
39% |
|
|
Outside a medical clinic that offers abortion procedures |
30% |
54% |
17% |
31% |
26% |
37% |
39% |
|
|
Inside Parliament House |
25% |
59% |
16% |
30% |
16% |
39% |
27% |
A majority think it should be legal to stage a protest outside Parliament House (72%) and on a city street (71%). Respondents were also more likely to think protesting outside a private business should be legal (49%).
However, a majority think that it should be illegal to stage a protest inside Parliament House (59%), outside a clinic that offers abortions (54%), outside a school (54%) and outside a public figure’s house (50%).
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Two Party Preferred: 14 May 2019
Labor
51.5%-0.5
Coalition
48.5%+0.5
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