Rob Eller, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in New Philadelphia, said change rarely comes from playing it safe; it comes from speaking out.

Hundreds of peaceful, sign-carrying protesters gathered on Lawyers Mall in the oppressive heat of a late July afternoon Thursday to protest Trump administration policies and to make the "good trouble" endorsed by the late Rep.

People attend the Good Trouble Lives On rally Thursday, July 17, 2025, at the Rose Garden in Bethlehem. The event was hosted by Indivisible Lehigh Valley Bethlehem, a chapter of the national Indivisible group, which organized similar events nationwide July 17 to respond to Trump administration policies. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)

A protest dubbed the "Make Good Trouble Rally" in honor of late U.S. Rep. John Lewis is planned for Chicago Thursday in Daley Plaza to oppose President Trump and his policies.

The North Carolina Democratic Party held a "Good Trouble Rally and Protest" on Thursday evening in downtown Raleigh. The demonstration aims to protest House Bill 958, which would prohibit state and county election officials from publicly encouraging voter turnout.

Organizers will call for passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and other voting rights legislation.

The protest, held on the fifth anniversary of the death of Congressman John Lewis, focused on immigration advocacy, voting rights and racial justice.

One protestor, Jim Clark, said he's been attending rallies since the beginning of the year. He said he attended Thursday in response to the defunding of the USAID and the resulting food waste, and funding cuts to public media like NPR. Clark said he protests for the sake of his children and grandchildren.