FACT BRIEF

Does data show that the protests in the summer of 2020 were largely peaceful?

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

By Emily Williams

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YES

Two independent data-collection projects report that more than 90% of the thousands of protests in the U.S. during the summer of 2020 were largely peaceful. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, working with a Princeton University team, estimated that protests in 93% of 2,620 locations between May 24 and Aug. 24 were peaceful.

Another data project has tabulated 7,305 Black Lives Matter-related protests dating back to 2017, finding that 96% resulted in no injuries or property damage. Police made arrests at 5% of protests and used tear gas and similar chemicals at 2.5% of these events.

The impact of the protests that did turn violent was not negligible. Property damage reported in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd's murder has been estimated at between $1 billion-$2 billion. There were at least 19 deaths associated with the protests immediately following the Floyd murder.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

ACLED: Demonstrations & political violence In America—New data for summer 2020

Washington Post: Crowd Counting Consortium founders on protest statistics

Crowd Counting Consortium Crowd Counting Consortium: Aggregate participation in collective action, Jan. 21, 2017-June 20, 2020

Insurance Information Institute Insurance Information Institute: Facts and statistics—Civil disorders

Axios Axios: $1 billion-plus riot damage is most expensive in insurance history

Wikipedia: Deaths during the George Floyd protests

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