‘Good Trouble’ Rally In Newark Will Protest Trump, Honor Civil Rights Icon

NEWARK, NJ — Another wave of protests against President Donald Trump will be happening across the nation on Thursday, including in Newark.

According to the Good Trouble Lives On website, the national day of action on July 17 is being held to “respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration.” Activists are citing “attacks on voting rights,” the “gutting of essential services,” “disappearances of our neighbors” and an “assault on free speech and our right to protest.”

In Newark, a rally is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. outside the Rodino Federal Building at 970 Broad Street. A march will follow to the Martin Luther King Statue at 495 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

The local event is sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance (learn more here).

“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,” POP chair Lawrence Hamm said.

“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.

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“It’s called good trouble because although our stand is for the greater good of the community, it is met with resistance from those in power hell bent on our continued oppression,” NAACP Newark president Deborah Smith Gregory added.

“There has to be good trouble when working families and the poor are under attack,” said Charles Hall, president of Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union UFCW.

“The country is going in the wrong direction and we must all stand up,” Hall said.

The July 17 rallies are being organized separately by local advocacy groups, and supported by dozens of national groups. See a map of locations here, and see a list of national partners here.

“A core principle behind all Good Trouble Lives On events is a commitment to nonviolent action,” organizers emphasize. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”

The rallies taking place this week are a continuation of the “No Kings Day” and “Hands Off” protests that have drawn millions of demonstrators.

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The region has also seen demonstrations in support of Trump, including a rally in Essex County organized by local GOP voters prior to the president’s Election Day victory.

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Anti-Trump protests in Essex County have also seen criticism from supporters of the president.

“These people are nuts,” a reader recently told Patch. “The protestors have way too much time on their hands.”

“We the people elected a strong America First leader and that's exactly what we got,” a North Caldwell resident said after the recent No Kings protests.

“President Trump is doing exactly what he promised during his campaign,” he added. “We all know that President Trump's second term will come to an end in 2028, so why the 'King' label?”

JOHN LEWIS AND ‘GOOD TROUBLE’

Thursday’s rallies are taking place on the fifth anniversary of the death of former U.S. congressman John Lewis.

The civil rights titan coined the phrase “good trouble” to describe the peaceful, non-violent demonstrations that upended discriminatory Jim Crow policies of America’s Deep South and led to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Lewis, who died in 2020, was one of the most vocal critics of President Trump during his first administration.

“Coined by civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis, ‘Good Trouble’ is the action of coming together to take peaceful, non-violent action to challenge injustice and create meaningful change,” goodtroubleliveson.org states.

“The civil rights leaders of the past have shown us the power of collective action,” advocates said. “That’s why on July 17, five years since the passing of Congressman John Lewis, communities across the country will take to the streets, courthouses, and community spaces to carry forward his fight for justice, voting rights, and dignity for all.”

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