LOS ANGELES – More than 20 events across the county will join the fifth annual “Good Trouble Lives On” John Lewis National Day of Action on July 17, part of a nationwide movement that has organized over 1,000 events to protest recent federal budget cuts and civil rights restrictions.
Local events include a candlelight vigil in downtown Los Angeles, rallies in Pasadena and Long Beach, and demonstrations in West Hollywood, Whittier and communities from Lakewood to Topanga Canyon. The day of action honors the late civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis, who coined the phrase “Good Trouble.”
“If not now, when. If not us, then who?” said Barbara Arnwine and Daryl Jones, co-leaders of the Transformative Justice Coalition, quoting Lewis’s famous words. “We are determined to reach and activate every American impacted by the poorly thought out, poorly calculated, and the horribly callous budget bill passed on our country’s 249th birthday.”
The protests target what organizers call the “Big Ugly Budget Bill” signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, which strips funding from social programs including Medicaid and SNAP to provide tax breaks for wealthy Americans. The legislation has prompted the largest turnout in the event’s five-year history, organizers said.
The Los Angeles events reflect the broader national movement, with flagship events also planned in Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Annapolis and Washington D.C.
In Los Angeles, events begin at 9:30 a.m. with a Lakewood Indivisible gathering and continue throughout the day. A downtown candlelight vigil starts at 4:30 p.m., while West Hollywood will host a Democracy Action Network event at 7 p.m. An interfaith vigil for immigrant neighbors is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Los Angeles.
Several events will take place in communities with large Latino populations, including Whittier, where three separate organizations are hosting gatherings at 6:30 p.m. Long Beach will host two events, at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
“In only his first few months in office, Trump has pulverized that progress, attacking our right to vote, cracking down on free speech and our right to protest,” said Allison Pulliam and Christine Wood, co-directors of the Declaration for American Democracy Coalition. “We are angry. That’s why the event count has skyrocketed.”
The Los Angeles events are organized by local chapters of John Lewis Actions, Indivisible groups, and the Truth and Democracy Coalition. One unique event will take place at Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes at 5 p.m.
Organizers are demanding an end to what they call the Trump administration’s crackdown on civil rights, targeting of marginalized communities, and cuts to social programs that working families rely on. The nationwide coalition includes the Transformative Justice Coalition, Black Voters Matter, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Mi Familia en Acción.
