A woman holds up a poster featuring the late U.S. Representative and civil rights leader John Lewis, who coined the phrase “good trouble,” as people participate in a protest as part of the ‘Good Trouble Lives On’ national day of action against the administration of President Donald Trump in Houston, Texas, on July 17, 2025. Credit – Ronaldo Schemidt—AFP/Getty Images
Demonstrators have taken to the streets across multiple states on Thursday to protest President Donald Trump’s Administration in a day of action honoring the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, with more events planned across the country in the evening.
“We are facing the most brazen rollback of civil rights in generations,” reads the movement’s website. “Whether you’re outraged by attacks on voting rights, the gutting of essential services, disappearances of our neighbors, or the assault on free speech and our right to protest—this movement is for you. Trump is trying to divide us, but we know the power of coming together.”
“Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration,” the website continues. “Together, we’ll remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.”
The phrase “Good Trouble,” coined by Lewis, refers to “the action of coming together to take peaceful, non-violent action to challenge injustice and create meaningful change,” according to the website.
Lewis was a leader in the civil rights movement, traveling between states to challenge segregation as one of 13 original Freedom Riders and serving as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which he helped found. He went on to represent Georgia’s 5th district in Congress for more than 30 years and became an outspoken Trump opponent during the President’s first term.
The day of action was set for Thursday, July 17—five years after Lewis died, at the age of 80, following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
The events on Thursday included block parties, candlelight vigils, and peaceful protests in cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago. The movement’s website said that a “core principle” behind the events is “a commitment to nonviolent action,” adding that no weapons should be brought to the events.
The “Good Trouble” protests follow more than 1,500 “No Kings Day” demonstrations that were held across the country last month to protest the Trump Administration on the same day that the President held a military parade in Washington, D.C. They also come after Trump earlier in June mobilized the National Guard—against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom—to quell immigration-related protests in Los Angeles. Trump’s actions sparked outrage from Democratic politicians, advocacy organizations, and legal experts, and protests spread across the country amid the outcry.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
