“They’re going too far”: Actively distancing from climate radicals improves public support for moderate climate activists

Climate activists’ tactics range from relatively moderate (e.g., authorised marches) to more radical (e.g., vandalism), but the presence of a ‘radical flank’ on wider public support for moderate ‘centre’ groups is poorly understood. In a pre-registered experiment, we used a sample of non-activist Austrian adults, representative on age, gender, and region ( N  = 1,407), and found: a) the presence of a radical flank resulted in greater support for a centre activist group; but b) only when the centre group actively distanced themselves from (vs. endorsed) the radicals’ actions. Pre-registered path analysis supported a proposed moderated serial mediation model whereby centrists who actively distanced from the radicals were more supported because: a) they were seen as less radical themselves; and b) respondents identified more with them. Results suggest public support for moderate pro-climate actions can be enhanced through the presence of a radical flank, when moderates distance themselves from the radical flank.