Most See Violent Protesters As Criminals

Most voters view the ongoing violent protests against police as primarily criminal in nature and think they will only make the criminal justice system in America worse.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey shows that just 32% of Likely U.S. Voters believe the mob violence that has continued for weeks in several major cities is primarily legitimate outrage over the police. Fifty-seven percent (57%) think instead that it’s mostly criminals taking advantage of the situation. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

This is comparable to attitudes when rioting flared up in Ferguson, Missouri following a police shooting in the summer of 2014 but slightly less critical of the protesters than Americans were following the 2015 violent riots in Baltimore.

Like those protests, the current mob violence is aimed at alleged race-driven police brutality, but only 21% of voters think it is likely to improve the criminal justice situation in America. Fifty-one percent (51%) believe the mob violence will make the criminal justice situation worse. Seventeen percent (17%) say it will have no impact, while 12% are undecided.

Among voters who think the mob violence is primarily legitimate outrage, however, 51% say it is likely to improve the criminal justice situation. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of those who see the mob violence as primarily criminal say it is more likely to worsen criminal justice in America.

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The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted July 29-30, 2020 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Voters think big city leaders in places like Portland and Seattle where violent protests have gone on for weeks are bringing the violence on themselves, with most reporters cheering on the protesters.

Those under 40 are more likely than their elders to view the ongoing mob violence in several cities as chiefly legitimate outrage, but even among younger voters, a plurality (49%) thinks it’s primarily criminal instead.

While 56% of whites and 70% of other minority voters say the ongoing mob violence is largely criminal, just 37% of blacks agree. Forty-one percent (41%) of black voters say it’s mostly legitimate outrage.

Fifty percent (50%) of whites and 59% of other minorities say the mob violence is more likely to make the criminal justice situation worse. Blacks are almost evenly divided over whether it will make things better or worse.

Among voters who think most police departments are too aggressive in dealing with violent protesters, 51% predict that the current mob violence will improve the criminal justice situation in America. Just eight percent (8%) of those who say most police departments are not aggressive enough and nine percent (9%) of those who consider the police response about right share that view.

Many of the violent protesters champion efforts to defund local police and shift that money elsewhere. But 66% of all Americans oppose reducing the police budget in the community where they live. Sixty-one percent (61%) believe violent crime will go up in communities that defund the police.

Sixty-seven percent (67%) rate the performance of the police in the area where they live as good or excellent. Just 20% believe the tactics used by their local police are too harsh.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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