Since Trump took office last year, there have been more than 23,000 political protests in the United States, according to data from ACLED, a conflict tracking group. Since January, the US has already seen more than 4,000.
To be sure, protesters’ motivations vary: they encompass local issues and national ones, and bring out both liberals and conservatives. But the most prominent demonstrations so far have been the No Kings protests, which have targeted President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, expansion of executive powers, and the war in Iran.
That got us thinking: which countries have seen the most protests so far this year? A look at the global data from ACLED shows that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the world’s most populous democracy, India, saw the most demonstrations, over issues including farmers’ misgivings about the US-India trade deal, autonomy demands in the Ladakh region, and a controversial transgender rights bill.
Iran is also on the list, as nationwide protests earlier this year over a collapsing economy and political repression drew a brutal response that left as many as 30,000 dead. Turkey, meanwhile, saw major demonstrations over Israel’s war in Gaza, the jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the country’s most prominent opposition figure, and the US-Israel war on Iran.
The streets of Mexico have been hot as well, as activists have organized protests over the diversion of resources into jointly hosting this year’s FIFA World Cup with the US and Canada, Washington’s harsher immigration policy and border militarization, and the ongoing failure to locate more than 130,000 people who have been killed or kidnapped by cartels.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation, has seen demonstrations over the economy and corruption, while France and Spain have had hundreds of protests over the EU-Mercosur trade deal and overtourism.
In short, protests are bubbling across the world – from democracies to dictatorships, in countries large and small. Here is a list of the ten countries that have seen the most action on the streets so far this year. Where will the next big protest movement arise?
