Support for Black Lives Matter Drops 12 Points After Summer Unrest: New Poll

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Americans’ support for the Black Lives Matter movement crashed over the course of summer unrest, according to a poll released Wednesday.

Support fell by 12 points from 67 percent in June to 55 percent in September, according to the Pew Research Center survey. That included a 9-point drop in the number of Americans who said they “strongly” supported the movement, from 38 percent to 29 percent.

The polling highs were captured just after George Floyd’s May 25 death in the custody of Minneapolis police, which sparked weeks of violent rioting and nationwide protests against police brutality. The most recent high-profile incident was on August 23, when a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back as officers were responding to a report of domestic violence.

Experts have estimated insurance claims for damage resulting from the unrest could amount to $2 billion, and possibly more.