By People’s Organization for Progress
The Good Trouble Lives On March and Rally to protest the disastrous policies of the Trump administration and to commemorate civil rights icon John Lewis will take place Thursday, July 17, 2025, 4:00pm at the Rodino Federal Building, 970 Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey.
The event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance.
The demonstration will begin with a rally at the Federal Building. Following that there will be a march to the Martin Luther King Statue, 495 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd in Newark, New Jersey. There will be a closing rally there.
The demonstration is one of more than 400 similar events that will be organized across the country that day. These actions are a continuation of the “No Kings Day” and “Hands Off” protests that were called for by 50501 and other national social justice organizations.
“The purpose of this protest is to demonstrate opposition to the Trump administration’s attacks on civil rights, human rights, voting rights, workers rights, women’s rights, immigrant rights, civil liberties and other important issues,” Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress stated.
“We will also draw attention to the administration’s recently passed budget bill which gives trillion dollar tax breaks to the rich, while cutting Medicaid, SNAP, and just about every social program that helps people,” Hamm said.
“We must act. We must protest. We must stand up and speak truth to power. The the racist and fascist domestic and foreign policies of the Trump administration are causing pain and suffering and death at home and abroad,” he said.
“The protest is being held on July 17thto commemorate the fifth anniversary of the passing of Congressman John Lewis. He was an icon of the Civil Rights Movement and advocate of non-violent resistance who exhorted us to get in “good trouble” for the cause of freedom, justice and equality,” he said.
“It is important to mention that there will be a “good trouble” component of our protest in addition to the march and rally on July 17th. Participation in that part of the event will be voluntary,” Hamm said.
Lewis was an 18 year-old student when he joined the civil rights movement. He participated in sit-ins, freedom rides, marches and other protests. He was a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) which played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement.
He was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March On Washington where Dr Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have A Dream Speech.” However, before it was delivered the speech by Lewis was edited to eliminate criticism of the U.S. war in Vietnam.
In 1965, he was nearly beaten to death by Alabama state troopers during the “Bloody Sunday” March while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. During the course of the Civil Rights Movement he was arrested at lease 40 times for participation in various protests.
He was 41 years old when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981. Lewis was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and served 17 terms, 34 years.
He received the Presidential Medal Of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2010. Congressman Lewis was a staunch critic of the Trump administration during the president’s first term. He was 80 years old when he died.
People who want to register for the event can go to https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/805573/. For more information call the People’s Organization For Progress at (973)801-0001.
Be the first to comment