Facing the Numbers: Political Violence and the Left’s Reckoning
After hearing people frame political violence as a problem of either the right or the left, I decided to dig into the actual data on violent political protests, and the results might surprise you. If you’re already planning to dismiss this because you don’t like what the numbers show, then it’s probably not worth your time to keep reading.
I researched and then broke down each instance of political protesting violence from 2000:
Cincinnati unrest (Cincinnati, OH) in 2001
Police killing of Timothy Thomas; protests escalated amid tension with CPD
Total estimated arrests: 800+
Total estimated property damage: $3.6mil
Political association: left
Toledo Riot (Toledo, OH) in 2005
Neo-Nazi march met by counter-protesters; clashes and looting followed
Total estimated arrests: 60-100+
Total estimated property damage: $336k+
Political association: mixed
G20 Protests (Pittsburgh, PA) in 2009
Anti-globalization demonstrations; police declared riots
Total estimated arrests: 190
Total estimated property damage: $50K+
Political association: left
Occupy Oakland (Oakland, CA) in 2011
Encampment removals & “General Strike” confrontations
Total estimated arrests: 100+
Total estimated property damage: $1-2mil
Political association: left
Ferguson Unrest (Ferguson, MO) in 2014
Killing of Michael Brown
Total estimated arrests: 321
Total estimated property damage: upwards of $4mil
Political association: left
Baltimore Unrest (Baltimore, MD) in 2015
Death of Freddie Gray in police custody
Total estimated arrests: 486+
Total estimated property damage: $9mil+
Political association: left
Charlotte Unrest (Charlotte, NC) in 2016
Killing of Keith Lamont Scott; street clashes
Total estimated arrests: 95+
Total estimated property damage: $4.5mil+
Political association: left
Standing Rock (North Dakota) in 2016
Pipeline construction near reservation; police-protester clashes
Total estimated arrests: 800+
Total estimated property damage: $38mil+
Political association: left
Berkeley Clashes (Berkeley, CA) in 2017
Far-right speakers; fights between black-bloc and counter-protests
Total estimated arrests: Dozens
Total estimated property damage: $100k+
Political association: mixed
Unite the Right (Charlottesville, VA) in 2017
White-supremacist rally; vehicle attack on counter-protesters
Total estimated arrests: 10+
Total estimated property damage: $540k in response costs
Political association: right
Minneapolis-St. Paul Unrest (Minnesota) in 2020
Death of George Floyd; precinct overrun, arson
Total estimated arrests: 604
Total estimated property damage: $500mil+
Political association: left
Portland Protests (Portland, OR) in 2020
Nightly BLM protests; clashes near federal courthouse
Total estimated arrests: 970+
Total estimated property damage: $2-3mil+
Political association: left
Kenosha Unrest (Kenosha, WI) in 2020
Shooting of Jacob Blake; armed vigilantes & clashes
Total estimated arrests: 250+
Total estimated property damage: $63mil
Political association: mixed
Seattle CHOP/CHAZ (Seattle, WA) in 2020
Police withdrawal from East Precinct; shootings in protest zone
Total estimated arrests: 23+
Total estimated property damage: $3.6mil
Political association: left
U.S. Capitol (Washington, DC) in 2021
Attempt to block certification of 2020 election
Total estimated arrests: 1,300+
Total estimated property damage: $2.7mil
Political association: right
Atlanta “Stop Cop City” (Atlanta, GA) in 2023
Protests vs. police training site; confrontations with officers
Total estimated arrests: 60+
Total estimated property damage: $10-12mil
Political association: left
Anti-ICE Protests (nationwide) in 2025
Protests against ICE detention centers
Total estimated arrests: 700+
Total estimated property damage: millions, numbers still pending as protests continue
Political association: left
TOTALS
Left associated
Violent protests: 12
Estimated arrests: 5,149
Estimated property damage: $582,750,000
Right associated
Violent protests: 2
Estimated arrests: 1,310
Estimated property damage: $3,240,000
Mixed
Violent protests: 3
Estimated arrests: 374
Estimated property damage: $63,436,000
Totals based on political association
Most violent protests: left aligned
Most estimated arrests: left aligned
Most estimated property damage: left aligned
The data paints a clearer picture than partisan narratives often allow. While political violence exists across the spectrum, the numbers show that the majority of large-scale violent protests over the past two decades have been associated with left-aligned causes. Regardless of political ideology, violence undermines the legitimacy of any movement’s message and honest reflection is essential if we want to understand - not just excuse - the forces driving it.
