A national day of action was held across the United States to oppose what many see as a rollback of civil rights and liberties under President Donald Trump’s administration. Demonstrations took place at more than 1,600 locations, with protesters marching in cities including Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles. The “Good Trouble Lives On” refrain that underscored the national day of action was inspired by the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who died in 2020 at the age of 80 following an advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1965, a 25-year-old Lewis led some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewis was beaten by police, suffering a skull fracture. Organizers had called for peaceful protests to take place on the fifth anniversary of Lewis’s death along streets, at courts, and other public spaces.
“We are navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nation’s history,” Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the nonprofit Public Citizen, said during an online news conference on Tuesday. “We are all grappling with a rise of authoritarianism and lawlessness within our administration… as the rights, freedoms, and expectations of our very democracy are being challenged.”
Pushback against Trump so far in his second term has centered on deportations and immigration enforcement tactics, as well as access to healthcare. The administration has pushed third-party countries to accept deportees, and the African country of Eswatini has confirmed this week that it received five individuals deported from the US. The US also completed the deportations of eight men to South Sudan after a judge cleared the way for their transfer to the violence-hit African country.
The so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill” also prompted a backlash for slashing health coverage schemes, Medicare and Medicaid, by $930bn over the next decade. It could leave as many as 17 million Americans without insurance, in one of the steepest rollbacks of social welfare programs in the US since their inception in 1935.
Earlier this month, protesters engaged in a tense standoff as federal authorities conducted mass arrests at two Southern California marijuana farms. One farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof during a chaotic raid. Organizers of the June 14 “No Kings” demonstrations said millions of people marched in hundreds of events from New York to San Francisco. Demonstrators branded Trump as a dictator and would-be king for marking his birthday with a military parade.
The protests come as Trump’s administration faces criticism for its handling of various issues, including immigration, healthcare, and civil rights. The administration’s policies have been met with resistance from various groups, including civil rights organizations, healthcare advocates, and immigrant rights groups.
The international community has also taken notice of the protests and the controversy surrounding Trump’s policies. The US has faced criticism from various countries, including those in Europe and Latin America, for its handling of immigration and human rights issues.
Conclusively, the “Good Trouble Lives On” protests across the US reflect a growing concern about the direction of the country under Trump’s administration. The protests highlight the need for continued activism and engagement to protect civil rights and liberties. As the controversy surrounding Trump’s policies continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the administration will respond to the growing opposition.