Only 39% of Dutch support farmer protests, just 29% back climate activists

The two major protest movements in the Netherlands at the moment - farmers and climate - can count on little support from the Dutch voters. Only 39 percent of Dutch people support the farmers’ protests, and only 29 percent support the climate demonstrations, according to a survey by Kieskompas among a representative 7,738 members of its VIP Panel. 43 percent don’t or hardly support the farmers’ protests, and 54 percent said the same about climate actions.

Both groups of protesters can count on more support when their actions don’t affect society much. For example, when they express their dissatisfaction on social media or protest at provincial houses, government buildings, or companies. Then, 52 percent support farmer protests, and 48 percent climate protests. The support drops to 19 and 11 percent, respectively, when protesters cause inconvenience by blocking highways, for example.

Kieskompas found a strong difference in support between people living in the cities and people living in the countryside. In very urban areas, more people support the climate protests (39 percent) and fewer the farmers (29 percent). That trend is reversed in non-urban areas - 22 percent support climate demonstrations, and 49 percent support farmers' protests.

Political preference also plays a role in how people feel about the two groups of protesters. People who vote on the right side of the political spectrum are generally supportive of farmers’ protests. The support is particularly strong at FvD and BBB. People who vote for left-wing and more progressive parties tend to support the climate protests, especially the GroenLinks-PvdA and PvdD voters. VVD, NSC, and CDA voters show less support for both farmers and climate activists.

Kieskompas weighted the results of the survey to make it generalizable for voting residents of the Netherlands. “The results are weighted per province by gender, age, education, ethnicity, and voting behavior to make the data with regards to these variables representative for every province in the Netherlands,” the research agency said. “This representativeness extends to variables and categories that have not been weighted but will never be fully corrected.”

Response

Farmers' organization Argactie thinks farmers get more support than climate activists because most people know someone in the agricultural sector. “That provides more connection with the problems among farmers,” the organization said to NOS. “Effects of the policy are immediately seen and experienced. The climate is quite abstract.

Extinction Rebellion said its demonstrations aren’t aimed at “being liked,” and the organization, therefore, doesn’t care much that the public doesn’t support the protests. “Our actions are drawing more attention to the climate and ecological crisis.” And that is the goal, the climate activists told the broadcaster.