Title page
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5
INTRODUCTION 10
SECTION 1: INITIAL PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF PROTEST 16
SECTION 2: THE PEOPLE'S TOWN SQUARE AND MOVING FROM PERCEPTION TO INFORMED JUDGEMENT 27
SECTION 3: THE PEOPLE'S TOWN SQUARE PRINCIPLES 41
SECTION 4: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PEOPLE'S TOWN SQUARE PRINCIPLES 55
CONCLUSION 66
APPENDIX: METHODOLOGY 67
FIGURE 1. The majority of the public feel that democracy would be improved if the government listened to concerns raised through protests more 12
FIGURE 2. The public associate the words 'disruptive', 'annoying', and 'freedom' most with protest 17
FIGURE 3. The ability for people to express their opinions and show they are upset about an issue are seen as the key value of protest 18
FIGURE 4. The majority of the public believe protests should be restricted when they cause serious damage to property, serious disruption, or harm to politicians 20
FIGURE 5. The public feel more strongly about tactics that are felt to hinder a protest's cause, than those felt to help it 21
FIGURE 6. The public are reasonably divided when it comes to whether disruptive tactics can be justified by the urgency of an issue 21
FIGURE 7. Views are mixed on whether 'it should be easier to protest than it is now' 23
FIGURE 8. People who are younger and from marginalised groups are more likely to agree that 'it should be easier to protest than it is now' 24
FIGURE 9. People who haven't protested before are more likely to support restrictions on protests 25
FIGURE 10. Sympathy towards both protesters and the public increased over the course of the People's Town Square 29
FIGURE 11. Results from a quiz during the learning session 32
FIGURE 12. The public are more supportive of the use of disruptive tactics for protests about causes that are important to them 37
FIGURE 13. People from marginalised groups are more likely to support the use of disruptive tactics for protests on societal inequalities 38
FIGURE 14. The vast majority of the public agree with each People's Town Square Principle 42
FIGURE 15. Over half of the public feel that laws around protest should have little room for interpretation 47
FIGURE 16. The public are split on whether our right to protest should be limited if the protest causes some disruption 53