Nationwide Protests Honor John Lewis, Push Back Against Trump Policies

Thousands of people gathered at more than 1,600 locations across the United States on Thursday for a national day of action titled “Good Trouble Lives On,” honoring the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis while protesting President Donald Trump’s controversial policies, including mass deportations and cuts to Medicaid and other social safety nets.

Organized by a coalition of advocacy groups including Public Citizen, the protests were held in streets, outside courthouses, and in other public spaces, with organizers emphasizing the importance of peaceful demonstration.

“We are navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nation’s history,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, during a virtual press conference earlier this week. “Authoritarianism and lawlessness are rising within our own administration, and our democracy’s foundations are under threat.”

Honoring a Civil Rights Icon

The day of protest was timed to honor the late Rep. John Lewis, who died in 2020 at age 80. A veteran of the civil rights movement, Lewis famously led the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, Alabama, where he was beaten by police and suffered a fractured skull. The brutal images from that march helped galvanize national support for the Voting Rights Act.

Lewis, who served in Congress for more than three decades, was known for urging Americans to get into “good trouble, necessary trouble” in the fight for justice.

In Chicago, the flagship protest included an afternoon rally and a candlelight vigil. Betty Magness, executive vice president of the League of Women Voters Chicago, said the event would be both reflective and energized. “We have a DJ who’s gonna rock us with boots on the ground,” she said.

Major protests also took place in Atlanta, St. Louis, Oakland, and Annapolis, with demonstrators carrying signs, chanting slogans, and demanding change.

Mounting Opposition to Trump’s Second-Term Agenda

The protests follow weeks of growing unrest over President Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement and cuts to public programs. Earlier this month, a federal raid on marijuana farms in Southern California led to mass arrests and the death of a farmworker who fell from a rooftop during the operation.

The incident came after Trump deployed the National Guard outside federal buildings and immigration detention centers in Los Angeles, a move critics say militarized civil enforcement operations.

On June 8, thousands marched through Los Angeles in response to the raids. Days later, on June 14, the “No Kings” movement staged mass protests nationwide, condemning Trump’s decision to mark his birthday with a military parade. Demonstrators accused the president of authoritarianism, labeling him a “dictator” and “would-be king.”

A Call to Action

Organizers say Thursday’s nationwide mobilization is just the beginning of a renewed campaign to defend democracy, civil rights, and vulnerable communities in the face of what they view as an erosion of democratic norms.

“This movement is not just about one man,” Gilbert said. “It’s about protecting the principles John Lewis lived and fought for — equality, dignity, and the right to protest injustice.”

The protests are expected to continue in the coming weeks, with more events planned leading up to the fall congressional session.