Thousands are expected to take to the streets today in over 1,600 locations nationwide to protest President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies and proposed cuts to Medicaid and other social safety nets. Dubbed the “Good Trouble Lives On” national day of action, the protests pay tribute to the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, urging peaceful resistance against what organizers call a growing tide of authoritarianism.
“This is a critical moment for our democracy,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a nonprofit advocating against corporate overreach and a key member of the coalition organizing the protests. “Trump’s policies threaten the rights and freedoms we hold dear.”
Honoring a Civil Rights Legend
The protests draw inspiration from John Lewis, who died in 2020 at age 80 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. A towering figure in the civil rights movement, Lewis was the youngest of the “Big Six” activists led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, at just 25, he led 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, during the infamous Bloody Sunday march, where he was brutally beaten by police and suffered a skull fracture. His courage helped spur the passage of the Voting Rights Act under President Lyndon Johnson.
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“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble,” Lewis famously urged in 2020, a call to action now echoed by today’s demonstrators. In Chicago, the flagship city for the protests, a downtown rally will feature a candlelight vigil to honor Lewis, alongside a lively atmosphere with music and speeches. “We’re here to celebrate his legacy with boots on the ground,” said Betty Magness, executive vice president of the League of Women Voters Chicago.
Clashing Over Trump’s Agenda
The protests come amid escalating tensions over Trump’s second-term policies, particularly his immigration crackdown. Recent mass arrests at two Southern California marijuana farms, where one farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof during a raid, have fueled outrage. Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to support immigration agents and secure federal buildings has further inflamed critics.
In Los Angeles, thousands marched earlier this month to denounce these tactics, while June’s “No Kings” demonstrations saw millions nationwide label Trump a “dictator” for staging a military parade on his birthday. Major protests are also planned today in Atlanta, St. Louis, Oakland, and Annapolis, with organizers calling for peaceful but powerful displays of resistance at courthouses and public spaces.
A Call to Action
As Trump’s administration pushes forward with deportations and budget cuts, the coalition behind the protests vows to keep the pressure on. “We’re fighting for the soul of America,” Gilbert said, channeling Lewis’ enduring spirit.
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