CHICAGO (AP) — Protests and activities regarding President Donald Trump’s controversial policies are set to occur in over 1,600 locations across the country. This includes significant concerns related to large-scale deportations and cuts to Medicaid and other essential social safety nets.
The “Good Trouble Lives On” National Action Day pays tribute to the late Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis. These demonstrations are planned to unfold in public areas such as streets and courthouses, with organizers emphasizing that they should remain peaceful.
“We’re navigating one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history,” mentioned civic co-president Lisa Gilbert during an online press briefing on Tuesday. “We are facing the troubling rise of authoritarianism and lawlessness within our government… as our democratic rights and freedoms come under threat.”
Public citizens are a nonprofit organization deeply committed to countering corporate influence. They are part of the coalition supporting Thursday’s protests.
Major rallies are slated for cities like Atlanta, St. Louis, Oakland, California, and Annapolis, Maryland.
Remembering Lewis’s Legacy
Lewis first entered Congress in 1986 and passed away in 2020 at the age of 80 after battling advanced pancreatic cancer.
As the youngest and last surviving member of the Big Six civil rights leaders, he was instrumental during the 1965 Selma march, leading approximately 600 demonstrators across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Tragically, he endured police violence that left him with a severe head injury.
In response to that violence, Martin Luther King Jr. organized further marches, and President Lyndon Johnson urged Congress to enact the Voting Rights Act, which ultimately became law.
“Being involved in good trouble and facing necessary challenges redeem the soul of America,” Lewis remarked in 2020, commemorating the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery.
On Thursday, Chicago will be the focal point for the protests, with crowds expected to gather downtown in the afternoon.
Betty Magnes, executive vice president of the Chicago Women Voters League and one of the event organizers, noted that the rally will also feature a candlelight vigil in honor of Lewis.
Magnes added that many of the upcoming rallies promise a vibrant atmosphere, saying, “There’s a DJ on site who really energizes the crowd.”
Opposition to Trump’s Policies
This round of protests reflects ongoing backlash against Trump’s actions during his second term, particularly concerning deportation and immigration enforcement measures.
Earlier this month, tensions escalated as federal authorities carried out mass arrests at two marijuana farms in Southern California, leading to one worker’s death after a fall during the chaos.
These incidents have prompted fierce resistance from immigrant advocates, especially after Trump deployed National Guard troops around federal buildings and conducted arrests in Los Angeles. On June 8, thousands joined protests in the streets of that city.
For the June 14 “No Kings” rally, organizers claimed that millions took part in hundreds of demonstrations from New York to San Francisco. Protesters described Trump as a dictator, coinciding with a military-themed birthday display.
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Williams reported from Detroit.
