An overwhelming majority of voters say the right to protest is important, a new Hill-HarrisX poll finds, following several recent demonstrations against police shootings.
Eighty-five percent of registered voters in the April 24-27 survey said the United States guaranteeing citizens the right to protest is important, including 43 percent who said it is “very” important.
By contrast, 15 percent of respondents said the right to protest it is unimportant.
Republicans were more likely than other groups to call the right to protest unimportant, though a wide majority across the political spectrum said protesting is an important right.
Ninety-three percent of Democrats, 86 percent of independents and 78 percent of Republicans said the right to protest is important.
Across demographic groups, 94 percent of Black voters, 87 percent of Hispanic voters and 83 percent of white voters said the right to protest is important.
The survey did not ask about specific protests but it follows several recent demonstrations in the U.S. over the death of Adam Toledo in Chicago and Daunte Wright in Minnesota, both of whom were killed by police.
It also follows the guilty verdict for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd, whose death last summer sparked nationwide and global protests.
The most recent Hill-HarrisX poll was conducted online among 2,827 registered voters. It has a margin of error of 1.84 percentage points.
—Gabriela Schulte
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