Nationwide Protests: 'Good Trouble Lives On' Against Trump Policies

Chicago, Jul 17 (AP) - Protests and events opposing President Donald Trump's controversial policies, such as mass deportations and cuts to Medicaid and other safety nets for low-income individuals, are set to take place Thursday at over 1,600 locations nationwide.

The “Good Trouble Lives On” national day of action pays tribute to the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. These demonstrations are slated to occur along streets, at courthouses, and other public venues, with organizers emphasizing the importance of peaceful protests.

“We are navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nation's history,” stated Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, during an online press briefing Tuesday. “We are all grappling with a rise of authoritarianism and lawlessness within our administration, as our rights, freedoms, and the very expectations of our democracy are under threat.” Public Citizen, a nonprofit organization focused on challenging corporate power, is part of a coalition behind Thursday’s protests.

Significant protests are anticipated in cities such as Atlanta, St. Louis, Oakland, California, and Annapolis, Maryland.

Honouring Lewis' Legacy

John Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986 and passed away in 2020 at the age of 80 following an advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis. He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, a 25-year-old Lewis led around 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where he was beaten by police, suffering a skull fracture.

Within days, King led further marches in the state, prompting President Lyndon Johnson to urge Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act, which subsequently became law.

“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America,” Lewis urged in 2020, reflecting on the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Chicago will serve as the flagship city for Thursday's protests, with demonstrators expected to gather downtown in the afternoon. Betty Magness, executive vice president of the League of Women Voters Chicago and one of the event’s organizers, mentioned that the rally would feature a candlelight vigil to honor Lewis. The remainder of the rally is expected to have a lively atmosphere, with Magness adding, “We have a DJ who's gonna rock us with boots on the ground.”

Protesting Trump's Policies

Opposition to Trump in his second term has primarily focused on deportations and immigration enforcement strategies. Earlier this month, protesters faced a tense standoff as federal authorities executed mass arrests at two Southern California marijuana farms. A farmworker tragically died after falling from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic raid.

These raids were preceded by Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard to protect federal buildings and assist immigration agents in conducting arrests in Los Angeles. On June 8, thousands of protesters took to the streets in the city.

Meanwhile, organizers of the June 14 “No Kings” demonstrations reported that millions of people marched in hundreds of events from New York to San Francisco. Demonstrators labeled Trump a dictator and would-be king for celebrating his birthday with a military parade. (AP)

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