Nationwide Protests Honor John Lewis, Target Trump

Demonstrators on Thursday will push for voting rights, social programs, civil liberties
Posted Jul 17, 2025 9:40 AM CDT
Nationwide Protests Honor John Lewis, Target Trump
Rep. John Lewis, seen in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, on March 19, 2009.   (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg, File)

Ample crowds are expected to gather across the US for "Good Trouble Lives On" protests on Thursday, marking five years since the death of civil rights icon John Lewis. Organizers expect crowds in more than 1,500 locations nationwide, with participants gathering to honor Lewis' legacy and to push back against policies of the Trump administration. Lewis, a longtime Georgia congressman and veteran of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march, famously encouraged "good trouble, necessary trouble" in the fight for justice—a message organizers say is fueling the day's events, per the Guardian.

"What would [Lewis] encourage us to do in this moment?" asks League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart, per USA Today. "That is going to look different for all of us, but I know that all of us can do something, and many of us can do many things." Civil rights and advocacy groups have teamed up to coordinate rallies, marches, vigils, food drives, action trainings, educational sessions, and voter registration events across all 50 states, per the Guardian.

While the turnout will likely fall short of June's historic "No Kings" protests, which drew millions, Thursday's midweek event is still expected to bring out tens of thousands, from big cities to small towns. Chicago will serve as the central hub, with major events also planned in Atlanta; St. Louis; Annapolis, Maryland; and Oakland, California.

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Protesters are calling for an end to what they describe as a crackdown on civil rights by the Trump administration—including voting restrictions, limitations on protests, and cuts to social programs such as Medicaid and SNAP. They're also highlighting issues affecting Black, brown, immigrant, and trans communities. The White House's response, via a spokesperson cited by USA Today: "Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate to make America great again, and he is delivering on that promise in record time."

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