Between support and critique: A social media analysis of public discourse on nonviolent climate sit-ins in Portugal

Abstract

Climate activism has surged worldwide, with nonviolent sit-ins playing a central role in demanding urgent policy action. In Portugal, these protests have garnered significant attention, raising questions about social resistance and public perception. Drawing from Nonviolent Action Studies, we analyse how Portuguese climate sit-ins are signified and which factors shape vernacular narratives of support and backlash through social media analysis. Our findings highlight both well-studied elements such as perceptions of violence, and understudied factors including perceptions of legality and threats to everyday security. In Portugal’s highly polarised context, with effective state smart repression, these factors generally shape public opinion against climate resistance, with support increasing only when perceptions shift insecurity from protesters to state. This paper offers insight into how vernacular discourse makes sense of climate activism, situating Portuguese protests within global patterns. The study enriches understanding of contemporary climate resistance and support/backlash construction, providing implications for activists, policymakers, and scholars.