59% Indians aware of Occupy Wall Street Movement, 64% support the protest: Ipsos Study

As a result, it may not be surprising that half (54%) of respondents say they are undecided when asked how favourable or unfavourable they are towards the protests as far as they understand them. Of those who take a position, those in favour out weight those in opposition two to one: 33% report they are favourable and 13% are unfavourable towards the protests.

Support appears to increase when a brief description of the movement is provided. In fact, the proportions of support and indecision flip; a slim majority (53%) "sympathize' with the movement and one third (35%) are undecided. One in ten (12%) continue to say they "do not have sympathy.'

A Movement Shrouded in Mystery

Only one third (37%) saying they are familiar with the protests going on in New York and other locations around the world referred to as "Occupy Wall Street' ' 8% are "very familiar' while three in ten (30%) are "somewhat familiar'. One quarter (24%) are "not very familiar', two in ten (19%) heard of it, but know nothing about it' and two in ten (20%) "never heard of it.'

Awareness is highest in the United States (61%), home to the first Occupy protests in New York, followed by Canada (60%), India (59%), Turkey (51%) and Spain (46%). It is lowest in France (18%), Russia (21%), Brazil (21%), Belgium (24%) and Mexico (24%).

Those Aware are Predominantly Favourable

Given the lack of global familiarity, it is not surprising that a slim majority (54%) report they are "undecided' regarding their favourability towards the Occupy protests. However, those who take a position are predominantly favourable; one third (33%) of global citizens are favourable ' 11% "very favourable', 22% "somewhat favourable' ' while one in ten (13%) are unfavourable ' 5% "very unfavourable', 7% "somewhat unfavourable.'

Strongest sympathy exists in South Korea (67%), Indonesia (65%), India (64%), Spain (62%) and Turkey, while Poland (37%), Japan (41%), Australia (41%), and the United States (45%) are softest on the issue.