Interfax: Poll: Russians continue to lose interest in protests

Kremlin and Saint Basil's File Photo

(Interfax – November 9, 2015)

Seventy-seven percent of Russians call unlikely mass protests against declining living standards and in support of their rights. This is the largest index since the end of last year (68 percent in December 2014), Levada Center told Interfax.

The percentage of Russians who deem demonstrations focused on economic demands possible has reduced from 24 percent last December to 18 percent now. The sociologists polled 1,600 persons in 134 populated localities in 46 regions on October 23-26.

Only 11 percent of the respondents said they were ready to take part in protests (14 percent in December), while the overwhelming majority had no intention to participate (83 percent vs. 78 percent in December).

The percentage of respondents believing in the possibility of political protests is also down, from 16 percent last December to 14 percent now. Eighty-one percent called such protests unlikely (77 percent in December).

Eight percent of Russians are ready to join political protests (9 percent in December), while 85 percent are not going to participate in such demonstrations (84 percent in December).

Thirty percent said that strikes were an inefficient tool and “could achieve nothing”, and 28 percent dubbed strikes as an extreme measure that “was sometimes impossible to avoid under current circumstances.”

Sixteen percent described strikes as a normal way of resolving problems, 7 percent said that strikes were the only way to achieve the fulfillment of demands, and 12 percent said that strikes were inadmissible in their country.

Thirty-seven percent of the respondents expressed their interest in politics, and 60 percent said they were not focused on political matters, the sociologists said.

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