Around 60 demonstrators gathered at Joy Park on July 17, joining a nationwide Good Trouble protest against President Donald Trump’s administration.
The name for the Good Trouble Lives On protests comes from a phrase commonly used by the late Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, who insisted it was important to engage in “good trouble, necessary trouble” in order to achieve positive social change.
Lewis, who was often called the “moral compass’’ of the House, was one of the most vocal critics of Trump’s first administration. The protests took place on the fifth anniversary of Lewis’ death.
Protesters turned out for a variety of reasons, including their opposition to the recently passed budget bill, immigration raids and attacks on women’s rights and diversity.
The Akron Party for Socialism and Liberation hosted the protest and had two guest speakers.
Lisa Schoenberg, with Indivisible Akron, speaks at the Good Trouble Lives On rally at Joy Park Community Center in Akron on July 17.
“We are living through a moment when the very foundations of our democracy are under attack. Truth is distorted, institutions are hollowed out, rights are rolled back, and power is hoarded by the few at the expense of many,” said Lisa Schoenberg from Indivisible Akron.
She told the group that they must be united to fight against the current administration and to continue to protect civil rights.
“When we are divided that’s when we are defeated,” said Hayden Gilbert, a member of the Akron Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Afterwards, protesters walked to the sidewalk on Kelly Avenue, where they held up signs, including “Get in Good Trouble 4 Education,” “Stop Evictions,” and “Trump Is Bad Trouble.”
Hayden Gilbert, with the Akron Party for Socialism and Liberation, speaks at the Good Trouble Lives On rally event at Joy Park Community Center in Akron on July 17.
Good Trouble protests were also planned in Stow, Kent, Ravenna and Medina.
Many of the national advocacy groups who planned the Good Trouble protests were also involved in the nationwide No Kings demonstrations on June 14, which drew millions of participants across 2,100 locations, according to organizers’ estimates, and thousands in Summit County. Overall, there have been monthly nationwide protests against the administration’s policies since April.
Protesters line Kelly Avenue at the Good Trouble Lives On rally event at Joy Park Community Center in Akron on July 17.
USA Today contributed to this report. Alisson Toro-Lagos is a reporter for the Beacon Journal. She can be reached via email at atorolagos@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Good Trouble protesters in Akron urge unity to protect civil rights