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

More than 200 rallied in Fort Myers to honor John Lewis and protest what they see as threats to civil and human rights.

The nationwide " Good Trouble Lives On " rallies, hosted in several cities to carry on the legacy of late Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, aligned with the five-year anniversary of Lewis' death and honored his trademark practice of using non-violent protest as a catalyst for change — a civil act he coined as "good trouble."

Ramirez was one of about 100 people who gathered at Burk Burnett Park Thursday evening to participate in the Good Trouble Lives On protest — a national tribute in remembrance of Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights leader who died on July 17, 2020.

Across the country, protesters rallied on Thursday under a shared refrain inspired by former congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis: “Good trouble lives on.” Thousands of people took to the streets in what organizers cast as a national day of action — a sweeping protest of the Trump administration’s cuts to safety net programs and efforts to roll back protections for immigrants and marginalized communities.

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.

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