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Good Trouble protests honor John Lewis and challenge Trump policies<\/p>\n
Over 1,600 Good Trouble protests are expected on July 17 to honor late civil rights icon John Lewis and challenge Trump-era policies.<\/p>\n
More than 100 protesters in metro Phoenix gathered on July 17 to honor the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.<\/p>\n
The demonstrations were among the two dozen protests planned across Arizona to honor Lewis, a longtime Democratic lawmaker from Georgia and icon of the civil rights movement who died five years ago.<\/p>\n
Organizers expected hundreds of thousands of protesters nationwide to turn out for 1,600 planned \u201cGood Trouble Lives On\u201d events.<\/p>\n
In Phoenix, 50 protesters stood outside an ICE field office waving flags from various regions of the world, including Europe and Latin America along with LGBTQ+ Pride flags and anti-ICE flags.<\/p>\n
Three Phoenix Police Department detectives stood outside and watched protesters, who cheered as cars honked in support of the protest, alongside Central Avenue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We’re all children of immigrants and we can’t forget that,” said Nancy Francque of Phoenix.<\/p>\n
There were 30 events planned in Arizona<\/a>, including a protest at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix and demonstrations in cities across the state such as Tucson, Sedona and Yuma.\u00a0A list of area protests is available on the Mobilize website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBy defending the weakest among us, we defend ourselves,” said Duane Stilwell, a dual citizen who is originally from Mexico City.<\/p>\n In north Scottsdale, some 100 people gathered at the intersection of Northsight Boulevard and Raintree Drive for a peaceful protest, continuing a weekly demonstration that has taken place every Monday since Presidents\u2019 Day.The crowd, many of whom are regulars, held handmade signs and participated in call-and-response chants. The protests are typically aimed at Rep. David Schweikert, R-Arizona, \u00a0but many turned out on July 17 to honor the legacy of Lewis, a civil rights leader whose legacy continues to inspire.Despite the heat, the mood was upbeat, with smiling faces and a sense of community.Judy Robbins from Phoenix said, \u201cWe need to be heard, and we need to be protected. And our civil rights, our human rights, our morals need to be upheld in our highest office.\u201d\u201cHe asked people to be in the streets. We’re on the sidewalk. You know, so how brave are we? But there may be a day that comes that we need to be on the street,\u201d Ruth Murphy of Phoenix said.<\/p>\n Lewis died five years ago on July 17, 2020. Civil rights advocates have hosted protests in his honor every year since. This year\u2019s protests are larger than ever, organizers say.<\/p>\n It\u2019s part of a broader trend. Millions of protesters have turned out across the country to demonstrate against President Donald Trump.\u00a0Just last month, thousands gathered across Arizona for “No Kings” protests<\/a> on Trump’s birthday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew this was gonna be much larger this year,\u201d said Robert Weissman, the co-president of the consumer-advocacy and government-watchdog organization Public Citizen. \u201cPeople are really eager to participate in protests, marches, vigils, teach-ins, even barbecues, to challenge Trump\u2019s authoritarianism. Especially the administration\u2019s clampdown on civil rights.\u201d<\/p>\n Public Citizen is one of many groups organizing the protest, including the League of Women Voters, the Transformative Justice Coalition, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Black Voters Matter.<\/p>\n