Participants of protests have three common features: need for self-realization, dissatisfaction with the situation in the country and in their personal life.
MOSCOW, June 27, 2012. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the results of the opinion poll of participants of the “March of Millions” that took place in Moscow on June 12, 2012.
Portrait of participants of protest actions
Along with stability of the basic features of the social portrait of the participants of the protest actions there are a number of substantial changes. The most active part in the protests is taken basically by men (64-71%) and respondents with higher and incomplete higher education (56-70%); however, the age composition of the participants of protests is changing. The protest movement is getting younger: the share of participants under the age of 34 who attended the June 12 action has increased up to 65%. At the same time, the share of elderly and middle-aged respondents is decreasing.
The protest movement is driven by three main social and professional groups: “creative class”, office workers and young students. Half of those who were interviewed on June 12 present these three groups (to compare: there were only 30% of them during the February 4th riot). The biggest outflow is recorded among the groups of respondents engaged in production sector (engineers, technicians, and employees), retired persons, and state and municipal workers.
The level of financial self-assessment among the participants of the June 12 action is higher than among Russians in general: only 13% asses their financial position as bad (in general across the country - 18%). The share of respondents with the increased level of labor mobility has also increased: in February the share those who had additional income or income from private entrepreneurship was 20%; at the recent action – 50%. It is due to the enlargement of the “creative class” and the outflow of state servicemen and workers.
There are three factors that determine the social and psychological portrait of the participants of the June 12 action: explicit need for self-realization, high degree of dissatisfaction with the situation in the country, as well as in personal life. For most of participants of the action (78%) self-realization is the key priority to which they are ready to sacrifice their stability. Financial self-assessment is not an important factor that defines the top priorities of this group.
About half of respondents who participated in the action (49%) reported their dissatisfaction with their life. The degree of dissatisfaction increases with the deterioration of financial situation of the participants (from 28% among high level of income to 83% among those with low income). The dependence of this figure on the age is less evident. Least level of dissatisfaction is among retired persons (19%); the highest one – among respondents aged 25-34 (61%).
The third factor that provides the socio-psychological description of the participants of the June 12 action is the assessment of the change of the situation in the country in general: 64% of participants are confident that the situation is deteriorating. They are opposed by only 10%. Most of those who are dissatisfied are elderly respondents and people with low level of income (87 and 83%, respectively).
The leaders of electoral preferences of the participants of actions are still Yabloko party (26% of respondents would vote for this party at next elections) and M.Prokhorov whose position has strengthened (from 27 to 38%). At the same time, every fifth participant of the June opinion poll have taken part neither in parliamentary, nor in presidential elections (basically people younger than 34).
Structure of protest movement
The participation in protests is getting purposeful. Only 16% of those who marched the streets on June 12 did not attend similar actions before. Sixty-nine percent of respondents reported that they participated as soon as they had known about the actions to be planned. Almost 90% of the surveyed are ready to take part in such actions in the future. The perception of an action as a collective act is strengthening: 73% say that they attend together with their relatives and friends. Sixty-five percent of participants had any of the symbols of the action with them (white ribbon, posters et cet.).
The reasons of participation show high degree of mobility among action participants. The leading topic of the action is the dissatisfaction with political system and political development (42%). At the same time, for almost every fifth Russian (18%) the attendance is a form of act of civil position. This is a factor of stable motivation. The topics of elections and the role of the ruling United Russia party have leveled off.
The analysis of the data allows singling out three categories of participants: the “core” is those Russians who participated in the actions at least three times and they are going to attend in such actions in the future; they took part in the action as soon as they had known it would take place (54 %); the “periphery” take part in actions from time to time; their behavior is often situational though the interest towards protests is high (30 %); the “fellow travelers” took part in the protest for the first time (16%).
Those who make the core criticize the situation in the country and claim to change the government of the country and to conduct new presidential and parliamentary elections: 69% of representatives of the core report deterioration of the situation in the country (in general among those who were surveyed – 64%); 79% believe that the highest power in the country should be changed (in general among respondents – 69%). As to the fellow travelers, the share of those who would like the state policies to be changed but who do not insist on their immediate change is higher (16% versus 2% in the core).
Among the possible measures that the participants are ready to take the participation in authorized riots (more than 90% of all the surveyed) is the most popular. Every tenth (10-12%) admit personal participation in power actions. Those who choose this form of protest are basically respondents aged 18-24 (42%). Representatives of the core are often ready to take part in any forms of protest actions: half of them are ready to take part in non-authorized actions.
Prospects of protest movement
In spite of the fact that 90% of participants are ready to take part in future protests, there is an increase of the share of those who are not satisfied with some aspects referred to the content and organization of the movement. Thus, in course of the survey conducted on June 12 23% of respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the participants and their slogans; 14% mentioned poor organization. Only 47% did not complain about the organization of the action on June 12 (in February – 63%).
The most popular slogans among the participants cover three basic subjects: criticizing Putin (34%), demanding political reforms (15%), demanding to extend political freedoms (13%).
The majority of those who were surveyed (64%) assess the actions of protest movement as being effective. This assessment is due to the fact that the authorities have to response to the protests while the protests do not stop. The share of respondents who think that the actions are ineffective is 27%. More than half of them (60%) report absence of reaction from authorities.
Leaders of protest movement
Most popular speeches are the speeches of Udaltsov (19%), Gudkov (15%), and Chirikova (10%).
The group of leaders of the protest movement has been changed: Yavlinsky and Prokhorov (in February – 29 and 12, respectively) gave way to Udaltsov and Yashin (in June - 26 and 10%, respectively). The popularity of Nemtsov, Ryzhkov and Akunin has decreased. The indisputable leader of the rating is Navalny. Almost half of respondents (46%) consider him as a respectful leader who evokes liking. His score has tripled over the recent four months (in February – 18%).
The VTsIOM opinion poll was conducted in Moscow during the “March of Millions” that took place on June 12, 2012. The sampling size was 531 persons.
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