"Good Trouble Lives On" protests honor legacy of John Lewis

'Good Trouble Lives On' organizers discuss day of action

More than 1,600 events are scheduled nationwide on July 17 as part of "Good Trouble Lives On," the fifth annual national day of action to honor former Rep. John Lewis.

More than 1,600 events are scheduled across the U.S. Thursday, July 17 as a national day of action to honor the fifth anniversary of the death of former congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. 

Lewis, a civil rights icon who marched alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, urged Americans to "get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

"Good Trouble Lives On will respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people," organizers said in a news release. "In memory of former Congressman Lewis, we will take to the streets, courthouses and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights and dignity for all."

A protester holds a sign reading "John Lewis Sent Me" during a "Hands Off!" rally in opposition to the Trump administration on April 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sarah Morris/Getty Images)

‘Good Trouble Lives On’ protests

What they're saying:

Organizers said the protests are centered on three issues: 

• The Trump administration’s extreme crackdown on our civil rights – from our right to vote to our right to protest and speak freely."
• Politicians and lawmakers targeting Black and Brown Americans, immigrants, trans people and others with hateful, dangerous policies.
• The wealthy and well-connected slashing programs that working people rely on – including Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security – to line their own pockets. 

The other side:

"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," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in response.

RELATED: No Kings Day attendance: Over 5 million turned out across US, organizers say

‘Good Trouble Lives On’ protest locations

Local perspective:

More than 1,600 events are scheduled in all 50 states. Click here for locations. 

Organizers told Axios that at least 56,000 people have RSVP’d to events nationwide. 

The legacy of John Lewis

The backstory:

Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

At age 25 — walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat — Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country’s attention on racial oppression in the South.

FILE - The late Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) is photographed in his offices in the Canon House office building on March 17, 2009 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images)

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Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.

Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal "I Have a Dream" speech.

Lewis, who represented the Atlanta area, served in Congress from 1986 until his death in 2020.