Authors: Dana R. Fisher and Anya M. Galli
As attention turns to the climate negotiations taking place in Lima, Peru, as well as the #FastfortheClimate and OurVoices “#LightforLima” Campaigns, it’s time to reflect on the ways the People’s Climate March changed the climate movement.
Along with 2642 solidarity events in 162 countries, the People’s Climate March on 21 September 2014 brought an estimated 400,000 people to the streets of New York City in a mass mobilization calling for action on climate change. Our twelve-person research team randomly surveyed 468 protesters throughout the protest staging area to understand who was participating in the largest climate march in history. Preliminary analysis of these survey data shows that participation in the People’s Climate March was consistent with other large-scale protest populations, as well as the demographics of the environmental movement overall: most participants were highly educated and politically liberal. However, the data also clearly show that the People’s Climate March mobilized people who were not previously involved with the environmental movement: 37% of the protest participants had not previously participated in a protest. Moreover, the March mobilized experienced activists from across the progressive spectrum. Along with environmentally focused protests, respondents reported participating in Human Rights and Anti-War protests at high levels. The figure below presents these findings.
For an overview of these findings, go to www.drfisher.umd.edu/PCM_PreliminaryResults.pdf
Along with 2642 solidarity events in 162 countries, the People’s Climate March on 21 September 2014 brought an estimated 400,000 people to the streets of New York City in a mass mobilization calling for action on climate change. Our twelve-person research team randomly surveyed 468 protesters throughout the protest staging area to understand who was participating in the largest climate march in history. Preliminary analysis of these survey data shows that participation in the People’s Climate March was consistent with other large-scale protest populations, as well as the demographics of the environmental movement overall: most participants were highly educated and politically liberal. However, the data also clearly show that the People’s Climate March mobilized people who were not previously involved with the environmental movement: 37% of the protest participants had not previously participated in a protest. Moreover, the March mobilized experienced activists from across the progressive spectrum. Along with environmentally focused protests, respondents reported participating in Human Rights and Anti-War protests at high levels. The figure below presents these findings.
For an overview of these findings, go to www.drfisher.umd.edu/PCM_PreliminaryResults.pdf
-- Dana R. Fisher (@Fisher_DanaR) and Anya M. Galli (@anyagalli)
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