Do Protests Work?

If you're pouring your heart into street protests hoping to wake up the world, brace yourself: the science says you're probably not making anyone go vegan. In fact, you might be pushing them in the opposite direction. But before you throw down your placard in despair, read on — because the truth about protest isn’t that it doesn’t work. It’s that we’ve misunderstood what it’s for.

Protests Don’t (Often) Create Vegans — And That’s Not a Flaw

Let's start with the hard pill: protests rarely lead to individual diet change. Yes, we've had some amazing success stories, but studies show that both disruptive and non-disruptive protests result in just 4–10% of people reducing their consumption of animal products — and even then, the reductions are minimal. Worse still, almost half of people who see a disruptive animal rights protest feel angry towards the activists and become less likely to support the cause.

So is it all a waste of time? No. It just means we’re asking the wrong question.

Protests aren’t recruitment tools. They’re pressure tools. They shift conversations, provoke media, rattle institutions, and attract people who are already on the edge of activism — not people firmly inside a steakhouse.

Expecting someone to see a milk pour and go vegan is like expecting someone to see a riot and join a political party. That’s not how public psychology works.

Who Are Protests For?

Protests serve three key purposes:

1. To pressure decision-makers – businesses, politicians, or institutions.

2. To attract attention – from media, allies, and those already sympathetic.

3. To build movement strength – recruiting, training, and emboldening new activists.

If your protest didn’t make the news, didn’t cause disruption, and didn’t inspire anyone to get involved — then sure, it might have been a waste. But if it shook a CEO, sent journalists scrambling, or made one activist feel seen and strong? That’s a win.

The Radical Flank Effect: Being “Too Much” So Others Can Be “Reasonable”

You’ve probably heard someone say, “I support animal rights, but those protestors take it too far.” Good. That’s called the radical flank effect — and it’s one of the most powerful tools we have.

Here’s how it works: the more extreme your protest seems, the more reasonable other activists appear. You pour milk, and suddenly the person politely tabling for a plant-based meal option looks like the voice of reason. The public shifts not toward you — but past you, toward change.

It's a conversation I had with someone during my short employment with The Humane League. The THL staff member I spoke with hated PETA with a passion. I suggested that maybe PETA's actions make THL seem more reasonable by shifting the Overton Window.

Research backs it up. A disruptive protest can make a moderate demand more palatable. A radical action can give legitimacy to a tame one. It’s all part of the dance — and movements that don’t have a radical flank often stagnate.

So yes, let them hate us. The aim isn’t to be liked. It’s to move the window.

“Backfire” Isn’t Always a Bad Thing

People love to panic over “backfire effects” — the idea that protests make people hate us and our message. Yes, that happens. But here’s what gets missed: the outrage fades. The media hits remain. And so do the donations, the mailing list sign-ups, and the spike in visibility.

The Grand National protest by Animal Rising is a perfect case study. Initial public sentiment worsened. But six months later? The outrage was gone, and all that remained was a stronger, better-known movement with a bigger supporter base.

Public anger is a flash in the pan. Organised persistence is the fire.

Specific Protests Work Better Than Vague Ones

Targeted action wins. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign didn’t try to change hearts — it tried to shut down a lab. And it very nearly did. That focus gave it teeth.

This is a lesson modern activists forget. Not every protest needs to be about animal liberation as a concept. Sometimes the best use of your protest is to hit a single company where it hurts — reputation, revenue, recruitment. Be precise. Be surgical. Change a policy, cut a supply chain, get a venue to cancel an event. Brick by brick, the wall comes down.

Forget the 3.5% Rule

You may have heard the theory that if 3.5% of the population actively engages in non-violent resistance, change becomes inevitable. It’s a nice soundbite. But it’s also misleading.

Mobilising 3.5% requires way more than 3.5% support. And let’s be real — we don’t have that yet. Not for ending animal agriculture. Not even close.

So no, we’re not there. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be organising. It means we need to start building real political pressure — coalitions, campaigns, consistency.

Want to Be Effective? Be Strategic.

Here’s what the research tells us about how to make protests actually matter:

1️⃣ Never use violence. Obvious? Apparently not. Violence against people alienates everyone and undermines the cause — even when justified by rage.

2️⃣ Pick your location wisely. Are you hitting a point of production (a slaughterhouse), a point of decision (a government office), or a point of consumption (a supermarket)? Match the goal to the geography.

3️⃣ Time it right. Is there a relevant bill being debated? A local scandal? A national conference? Ride the news cycle.

4️⃣ Get the numbers. Seven people on a pavement won’t turn heads. Mass matters. Recruit, coordinate, and show up en masse.

5️⃣ Control the narrative. If you can’t write the headlines, at least plan for them. Work with sympathetic journalists. Issue a press release. Decide what the media takeaway should be — or they’ll decide for you.

6️⃣ Track everything. Use QR codes. Count website visits. Log donations. Watch trends before and after. If you’re not measuring impact, you’re flying blind.

7️⃣ Focus on the problem. Studies show that when you highlight the harm — rather than abstract values or utopian solutions — you gain more public support. People care more about pain than philosophy.

Street Outreach: The Quiet Sibling of Protest

Not all street activism is protest. Some of it is conversation — and it works differently.

Video outreach (like VR headsets or tablets showing undercover footage) has shown promising results. One study found a third of people reduced pork consumption after watching. That’s a big deal.

But leafleting? Meh. Most studies find little to no lasting impact. Pamphlets might plant a seed, but they rarely grow it.

That said, these small acts might still play a part. Like social media posts or brief conversations, they nudge people along a path. You just don’t see where that path ends.

Grief as Protest

Not all activism is designed to spark change in others. Sometimes it's about mourning. National Animal Rights Day, vigils, and public memorials serve a vital purpose — reminding the world that the animals who died were individuals. Someone grieved. Someone bore witness. Someone said: “You mattered.”

Don’t let metrics erase meaning. Not everything needs a conversion rate.

Collaboration Isn’t Optional

Protest doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It thrives when movements align.

Animal advocates can and should team up with climate activists, water defenders, human rights groups. Factory farming is a thread in many tapestries of injustice. Pull it hard enough, and other systems start to unravel.

If you want traction, don’t just talk to the public. Talk to your allies.

So... Should We Protest?

Yes. But not with false hopes and fuzzy goals. Protests aren’t magic spells. They’re just one tool in a bigger toolbox — best used with precision, planning, and a thick skin.

If you’re in it for praise, don’t protest. If you’re in it for comfort, don’t protest. If you’re in it to be liked, don’t protest.

But if you’re in it for change — real, structural, confrontational change — then yes. Protest.

Loudly. Strategically. Unapologetically.

And don’t you dare stop.

This article was possible due to research conducted by Faunalytics.