counterprotest

noun

coun·​ter·​pro·​test ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌprō-ˌtest 

variants or counter-protest

plural counterprotests or counter-protests

: a protest staged to counter or oppose another protest

A rally … got heated Saturday afternoon. Police stepped in to help de-escalate tensions after a counterprotest emerged …

—Colleen MacDonald

counterprotester

ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌprō-ˌte-stər 

noun

or counter-protester

plural counterprotesters or counter-protesters

Standing near the back of the crowd at yesterday's rally were about a dozen counterprotesters …

—Sue Young Wilson

Nazis may still march, but they are inevitably outnumbered by counter-protesters.

—Ellis Cose

Examples of counterprotest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Los Angeles campus became a hotbed of protest and counterprotest activity throughout much of the spring semester. —Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024

At a time when reflexive rage is the go-to mode across the ideological spectrum, Despentes has grabbed the mic to offer a kind of counterprotest to the social-media backlash. —Marc Weingarten, The Atlantic, 23 Sep. 2024

The changes come after university leaders faced backlash from students, faculty and legislators for their response to pro-Palestinian protests and counterprotests on campuses. —Carrie Shepherd, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024

The letter follows a turbulent spring for many colleges in the U.S., where protesters were arrested and sometimes faced violent counterprotests. —Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 11 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above