Even though the Covid-19 pandemic was the biggest topic last year, it wasn’t the most important when it comes to the biggest petitions made last year. Rather the petitions calling for racial justice were the most trending last year, accounting for more than 63,000 petitions in the U.S. with over 184.7 million signatures. The Covid-19 related petitions came in at second with more than 130,000 petitions and over 98.4 million signatures, according to the data from change.org. Now that you have some idea of the petitions’ last year, let’s take a look at the ten biggest petitions of 2020.
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Ten Biggest Petitions Of 2020
Our list of the ten biggest petitions of 2020 is based on the number of signatures that a petition got. We have used the signatures data from change.org for the ranking of petitions. Following are the ten biggest petitions of 2020:
This petition from the group Student Loan Justice calls for the president to cancel student loan debt. It is the fastest growing petition on the platform. “We also call on the President and Congress to return standard bankruptcy protections to ALL student loans, by executive order and through legislation,” the petition reads. The petition argues that canceling student debt would help to stimulate the economy.
This petition was started by Mike Hidalgo following reports that the U.S. Postal Service lacks funding to continue its operations. “The United States Postal Service employs over 500,000 people and is the #1 employer of veterans,” the petition says. The petition has gained over 1.6 signatures and is targeting 3 million signatures.
This petition was started by a Denver restaurant owner asking Congress to come up with recurring stimulus checks of $2,000. Stephanie Bonin recently updated the petition saying many Americans still need stimulus money as the “country is still deeply struggling. The recovery hasn’t reached many Americans.” Further, she noted that it took Congress nine months to approve a second stimulus, but “just moments to spend it.”
This petition was started by three doctors (Milla J. Kviatkovsky, Constance Chace and Supraja Thota). It was directed toward the U.S. House of Representatives. “As cases of COVID-19 escalate around the country, physicians and other healthcare workers (HCWs) are facing severe shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE),” the petition reads.
This petition created by Jose Cardenas asks the authorities to designate the Ku Klux Klan as a terrorist organization. “Ever since the inception of the Ku Klux Klan in December 24, 1865 they have terrorized American citizens for the color of their skin and opposing views,” the petition says. The petition got so much support that President Trump in September said that he was even considering it.
This petition asks the NBA to honor Kobe Bryant, who is one of the greatest basketball players ever. The petition, started by Nick M., specifically asks the NBA to “immortalize him forever as the new NBA Logo.” Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash in California. He was a five-time NBA champion and played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was chased and shot by two white men while he was reportedly out for a routine jog in Brunswick. The accused son and father, Travis and Gregory McMichael, claimed they were acting in self-defense, and suspected Arbery had committed a burglary. However, a widely circulated clip provided a starkly different story. In June, the charges were filed against the accused.
Piper Rundell created the petition after McClain's coworker told her about his death "nearly in tears." McClain, a 23-year-old black man, died in August 2019 after being detained by police. A 911 call received by the Aurora Police Department of a "suspicious man" is being blamed for leading to Elijah's death. The petition demands the officers involved in McClain's death to be fired as authorities carry out an in-depth investigation.
This petition was created by a law student Loralei HoJay, and demands the firing and arrest of three Louisville Metro police officers. These three officers were part of the raid on Taylor's home on March 13. Taylor was shot to death during the raid. According to Breonna’s lawyer, she was shot six times. This petition led to the nationwide campaign to ban no-knock warrants.
This petition was started by a 15-year-old, Kellen S., demanding justice for George Floyd, who died in police custody. It became the biggest petition and movement in Change.org’s history. This petition was directed at Mayor Jacob Frey and District Attorney Mike Freeman, demanding that officers involved in Floyd’s arrest be both fired and charged “immediately.” In April, Kellen S. declared victory on her petition after the authorities charged one of the officers on three counts of murder.
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