More than 150 people gathered in Fred Cone Park in east Gainesville on July 17 as part of the nationwide “Good Trouble Lives On” protest against the policies of the Trump administration.
The protests were held in honor of the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis, an American civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 to 2020.
Thursday marked five years since Lewis’ death. One of the most memorable quotes from Lewis, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble,” inspired the name of the event.
A boisterous Gainesville crowd chanted several phrases including “Release the (Epstein) list,” “Stop ICE” and “This is what America looks like.” Protest signs included “Orange Lies Matter,” “Make America Kind Again,” and “January 6th Rioters Are Criminals.”
Protesters attend the “Good Trouble” protest on July 17 at Fred Cone Park in Gainesville.
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Protester Donna Diehlman called Lewis an American inspiration because he set a great example, and said that all Americans can appreciate the ability to exercise their freedom of speech.
Backing Lewis’ words of good trouble, protester Liz Stark said she was there to protest against Trump’s “blatant disregard” for the American law and has had enough of his abuse of power.
“He’s defeating our whole Constitution and just throwing it into the toilet and undermining the three branches of government,” Stark said.
Other protesters like Jen Ambrose said events like these are important for moral, and that people can find solidarity and build community and to let the world know that Florida is tired.
“It’s not that the world is going to change because we all line up on a street corner, the world changes because of the relationships we make at events like this where we form community and come up with ideas to support each other,” Ambrose said.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville Florida residents take part in Good Trouble protest