Published: April 4th 2011 - at 6:30 pmPoll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests
Over the weekend YouGov asked people about the recent protests over spending cuts:
73% thought that peaceful civil disobedience was “acceptable”.
Only 22% thought it “unacceptable”.
3% thought that violent protests such as breaking windows or damaging buildings were “acceptable”.
93% said they were “unacceptable”.
On the deficit:
24% backed the government policies to reduce the deficit.
3% thought there should be more cuts,
29% thought the cuts should be done more slowly,
19% think there should be fewer cuts and more tax rises
16% thought cuts were unnecessary.
It would be nice if those commentators who criticised Ed Miliband for speaking at the TUC march and claimed it was a flop were aware of the real state of public opinion.
Fewer than 1 in 4 people support the government’s plans. 2 in 3 would prefer an alternative which reduced the scale or speed of the cuts. Nearly 3 in 4 back peaceful protest against the cuts.
Only a tiny minority of people support smashing shop windows in protest, a belief as extreme, fringe and popular only on the internet as the notion that the cuts should be deeper.
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Don Paskini is deputy-editor of LC. He also blogs at donpaskini. He is on twitter as @donpaskini
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Reader comments
British citizens in common sense shocker! Seriously, it’s great to see how little impact the hysterical rightwing press has on the common sense of the British people when it comes to democracy…
“Seriously, it’s great to see how little impact the hysterical rightwing press has on the common sense of the British people when it comes to democracy…”
+1.
I bet that if you asked whether taking over a private business was ‘peaceful civil disobedience’ you would get a much more conflicted result.
@3
“taking over a private business” – loaded language. You could frame it as “standing around in a shop causing no harm to anyone” and get even more people in favour.
“taking over a private business” – loaded language.
It is the kind of language protesters have been using.
@5
..and? Do we now have to ask polling questions using the same language as certain groups or people within groups? C’mon now. Polls are supposed to be impartial. What this poll shows (& granted it’s only one, could be an outlier etc) is that the public broadly support peaceful civil disobediance. Don’t try and play games of semantics to play this down.
The survey refers to it as “Peaceful civil disobedience (such as people
staging sit-ins or occupying shops)”. So I’m guessing it can be taken to mean people are ok with occupying places like F&M’s as long as you don’t break anything or hit anyone.
It’s a shame that they used the word ‘violent’ to describe vandalism.
Mr S Pill,
Don’t try and play games of semantics to play this down.
I’m not trying to play it down. It just seems ironic that you are complaining about “loaded language” that occupiers themselves use to promote occupations to the public. What do you think occupation means?
The result seems good from a protest point of view.
So given so many oppose violence & vandalism, will UK uncut finally condemn such actions?
@9
I’m complaining about loaded language in polling, sure. Loaded language in political polemic/rhetoric is perfectly acceptable (whether or not I agree with the sentiments expressed or not).
The framing of the questions on the original poll is loaded – it asks whether the public support “peaceful civil disobedience” and “violent protest”. ‘Peaceful’ has positive connotations, ‘violent’ negative. And smashing a window or damaging a building is vandalism, not violence. That’s not semantics – it’s a misunderstanding of central importance. What would the result have been if it had been phrased ‘non-violent civil disobedience’ and ‘property damage as part of protest’ or similar?
This poll isn’t impartial – ‘violent’ has negative connotations, ‘peaceful’ positive, and that will have made a huge difference to how people have responded.
‘Violent’ means harm to people – not damage to property. By wrongly labelling property damage ‘violent’ (carelessly, rather than intentionally I assume), YouGov have seriously loaded the question. On the other question, ‘Non-violent direct action’ seems to better capture sit ins, occupying shops than ‘civil disobedience’, which usually refers to refusing to obey a law with which you disagree.
Pretty encouraging on the whole, especially when we note that the entire political and media establishment regards the ‘no cuts at all’ (i.e. classic Keynesian) position as some of kind of madness. Really funny when you realise that Keynes was a pillar of the establishment and not even remotely socialist.
I must also point out that there are more than two positions on the question of violence against property for political purposes; 4% expressed neither support nor strong opposition.
There are some other gems in that data:
1) The ambivalence about violence increases to 12% among the under-40s compared to 5% among the over 40s. This is the most telling division; a real generation gap.
2) The demo hasn’t shifted many opinions. Support for cuts has fallen slightly, by 2% since 26th March. Most surprising is that there has also been a 4% swing from ‘don’t know’ to ‘oppose the cuts’ (from 13% ‘don’t knows’ to 9%).
So, people may not like it, but violent demos work, apparently! Well, they sway the ‘don’t knows’, anyway. Well done to the BBC and Sky.
@13
Is there any surprise about the generation gap, though? After all this was said:
“”The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect to their elders…. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and are tyrants over their teachers.”
…allegedly by, um, Socrates.
Or, attributed to Plato: “”What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?”
Kids going wild is nothing new.
@ Denny
“It’s a shame that they used the word ‘violent’ to describe vandalism.”
But hardly surprising, given that vandalism tends to be violent. The best way to avoid being labelled as violent is not to be violent. It’s the troublemakers who are to blame here, not those reporting it.
@8 Vandalism, otherwise known as the violent destruction of property, is in fact violent and the word is therefore correctly used.
hypocritical to blame our youth.
camaron was in a dinner club that smashed up restaurants.as well osbrone and Boris who tells in his memoirs of geting drunk and smashing up the same shop.ukuncut sat it.
or camoron that smoked pot at uniand nearly got booted out of uni for it.
A tad silly for people who did such to moan at shop sit one .?
or is it do as I say not what I do ?
How about you read it this way: there are about 40% of people there who don’t mind cuts but think peaceful protest is cool. Surely this, more than anything else, attests to the fact that people know that peaceful protest is unlikely to have any tangible effects.
@ 18 Jacob
I don’t see why – it could just as easily mean that they believe everyone has the right to protest peacefully, regardless of whether they agree with them.
Was this poll about the recent protests or protesting in general
@ 22 Dave
“Was this poll about the recent protests or protesting in general”
As far as I can tell from the source, it didn’t ask about the recent protests specifically, which makes the opening sentence of the OP untrue. However, it was carried out over 31/03 – 01/04, so odds are most people were thinking about the recent protests when they answered.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Natacha Kennedy
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Chunkylimey
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Anthony Painter
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < That's not what the poll says.
- Rachel
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- czol
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Oldak
RT @anthonypainter: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < That's not what the poll says.
- .
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Lisa Egan
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Alan Lai
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Bethan Tichborne
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Leon Green
Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://is.gd/nLAIrs
- Sean Gittins
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- CHRIS WALTON
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Karen Webb
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Paul Grover
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Sue Hoyle
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Double.Karma
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- jan stallard
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- sunny hundal
Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Jill Hayward
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- rahooligan
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- JamieSW
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Huw Spanner
@NemesisRepublic @marinapepper Did you see this? http://bit.ly/e78D1Y Important, if we want to win support, not just express anger.
- Craig McIndoe
RT @leongreen: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://is.gd/nLAIrs
- UKFreeNews
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Samir Jeraj
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Mark Martin
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Joseph O'Brien
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- WestMonster
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Gods & Monsters
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- bankofcat
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- sunny hundal
Turns out @johannhari101 was right though: percentage of public who think breaking windows is OK is nearly 0% – http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Greg
Less than 1 in 4 support the govt plans. 2 in 3 would prefer an alternative. 73% agree with #UKuncut tactics. YouGov http://bit.ly/fsGWk8
- Steve Rooney
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Owen Jones
Nearly three-quarters accept peaceful civil disobedience – a tactic the whole anti-cuts movement can unite behind http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Jack Mcglen
RT @libcon: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Denny
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Police State UK
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- William Robehod
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- FloTom
RT @sunny_hundal http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ <- 93% think violent protest is acceptable The #English have such good sense
- LegoDaddy
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Paul Cunliffe
73% of poll support #ukuncut style protests http://bit.ly/gYIvLx (via @libcon)
- Joe Kittinger
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Joe Kittinger
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Mike Allen
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Paul Francis
RT @PauloDiCunnio: 73% of poll support #ukuncut style protests http://bit.ly/gYIvLx (via @libcon)
- Rooftop Jaxx
MT @vacuumcleaner 73% fine w @UKuncut style protests, only 3% w 'FuckShitUp' protests. http://bit.ly/dQLhcF <#NobodyITalkToTalksToPollsters
- stephen wesley
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Molly
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Oasis Caretaker
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Huw Jordan
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- paddy
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- False Economy
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Aaron Peters
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- DarkestAngel
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- uriel emil
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Seth Mowshowitz
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Hammy Cammy
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Hammy Cammy
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Derek Bryant
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Barry Ayton
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Kevin William Molin
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Karen Purdy
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Michael Haslam
RT @FalseEcon RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Patrick Orr
poll results bout @UKuncut protests.shows discontent wi gov cuts,althou every poll i c contradicts the other http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ v @libcon
- Graham
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Jon Purdom/Paco Saez
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- James Maddison
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Gail Thomas
RT @aaronjohnpeters RT @FalseEcon RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < & other interesting polling
- Gary Lord
RT @GailFT: RT @aaronjohnpeters RT @FalseEcon RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < & other i …
- Dale Dickins
RT @GailFT: RT @aaronjohnpeters RT @FalseEcon RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < & other i …
- michele brown
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Pucci Dellanno
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Staffordshire UNISON
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Ray Sirotkin
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
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- SuzyQ8
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Eve
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Trakgalvis
Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://goo.gl/28CJC
- James Leppard
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Joe Jordan
Of internet users? RT @trakgalvis: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests http://goo.gl/28CJC
- paulstpancras
Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/hAagTpA via @libcon
- Tony Dowling
RT @cherylabdul: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/ynTRGdP via @libcon
- Jane Ayres
RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Stuart White
Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/85BeBWX via @libcon
- Owen Blacker
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Edward Clarke
RT @FalseEcon: RT @libcon: Poll finds 73% fine with #UKuncut protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ < and other interesting polling
- Dave Pickering
RT @StuartGWhite: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/85BeBWX via @libcon
- David Kirkham
RT @libcon: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- David Kirkham
Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/G0pRQLW via @libcon
- Eve
RT @twotonestapler: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/G0pRQLW via @libcon
- Eve
RT @twotonestapler: RT @libcon: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Natasha Finlayson
RT @StuartGWhite: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/85BeBWX via @libcon
- chang mei wan
RT @trakgalvis: Poll: 73% fine with #UKuncut style protests | Liberal Conspiracy http://goo.gl/28CJC
- Martin McGrath
British people like a bit of peaceful civil disobedience, don't much care for cuts, poll shows http://bit.ly/eFQ7sW
- Bristol UKUncut
RT @martinmcgrath: British people like a bit of peaceful civil disobedience, don't much care for cuts, poll shows http://bit.ly/eFQ7sW
- Neil Young
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
- Oscar Davies
@AdsGoFast http://bit.ly/gYIvLx actually 64% oppose these cuts. And how were the coaches tax payer funded
- The Black Bloc – a dead end (response to Jonathan Moses) « jonesblog
[...] people. While a poll has shown 73% in support of peaceful civil disobedience, only 3% support actions like smashing windows. To me, this is probably the least surprising finding possible. I don’t understand the [...]
- littlebrother
RT @sunny_hundal: Poll finds that 73% of people find @UKuncut style protests "acceptable". Not keen on vandalism though http://bit.ly/hJNdfQ
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