Protesters are set to take to the streets in over 1,600 locations across the nation on Thursday, with left-wing activists claiming the Trump administration’s immigration policies and Medicaid changes are rolling back civil rights.
The “Good Trouble Lives On” protests call for peaceful marches in honor of civil rights activist and former congressman John Lewis, who is credited with coining the phrase “good trouble.” The term refers to nonviolent civil disobedience.
The national day of action on July 17 marks five years since Lewis’s death.
“We are facing the most brazen rollback of civil rights in generations,” the group’s website states. “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.”
The protests will take place in major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Dallas, Austin, Columbus, and Charlotte. Chicago is the flagship city for Thursday’s mass demonstrations.
The “Good Trouble Lives On” protest organizers were also behind the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations that took place on June 14, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday and a grand military parade in Washington, D.C. The large coalition of organizers includes the American Civil Liberties Union, Our Revolution, and Public Citizen.
As many as 56,000 people were registered to participate in Thursday’s nationwide protests as of last Friday, organizers said. The anti-Trump “No Kings” protests drew millions of protesters across 2,100 locations.
The latest round of protests is centered on the Trump administration’s mass deportations and immigration enforcement tactics, its supposed erosion of voting rights and free speech, and its recent changes to Medicaid, SNAP, and Social Security benefits.
DEMOCRATS FLIRT WITH VIOLENT RHETORIC
The White House is not concerned about the “Good Trouble Lives On” demonstrations, saying it will continue to deliver on Trump’s campaign promises.
“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 spokeswoman Liz Huston said.