The first major poll surveying opinions on the anti-ICE Los Angeles protests and riots found them to be significantly unpopular.
A YouGov poll of 4,231 U.S. adults conducted on Monday found that just 36% of respondents had a favorable view of the protests, compared to 45% who disapproved and 19% who weren’t sure. The numbers were predictably polarized among political parties, with 58% of Democrats approving compared to 15% of Republicans and 35% of independents.
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However, results were less polarized along ethnic lines despite the predominantly Latino composition of the protesters. A similar number of white and Hispanic people disapproved of the riots, 48% and 44%, respectively, though only 35% of black people disapproved. No racial group had more than 40% approving of the protests.
The popular perception of the protests regarding violence was split, with 38% believing they were mostly peaceful, 36% believing they were mostly violent, and 26% unsure. White and Hispanic respondents had identical views, with 36% believing they were mostly peaceful and 38% believing they were mostly violent. Black respondents were an outlier, with 44% believing them mostly peaceful compared to 22% believing them mostly violent.
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As for the response to the protests and riots, 56% believed state and local authorities should lead the response, compared to 25% who believed federal authorities should.
Violent riots broke out in Los Angeles on Friday after a wave of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city, with a weekend of protests that saw 50 arrests, including for attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail, and five officers and horses with the Los Angeles Police Department injured. President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members and then ordered 700 Marines in on Monday.