Thousands attended “Good Trouble Lives On” protests in Lake and McHenry counties on Thursday demonstrating against President Donald Trump as part of a nationwide movement.
The “Good Trouble Lives On” rally was held in honor of Congressman John Lewis on the anniversary of his death.
Organizers for the effort, which led to protests across the United States, say the day of action was to respond to the “attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.”
“… we’re taking action across the country to defend our democracy and carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble,” organizers said, referring to Lewis.
The organizers say the Trump administration is launching a “full-scale attack” on civil and human rights through the “criminalization of protest” and “voter suppression bills” like the SAVE Act.
“But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people, and we’re rising to prove it. This is more than a protest; it’s a moral reckoning. A continuation of the movement Lewis helped lead, and a new front in the struggle for freedom,” the rally event description says.
In Lake County, protests were held at Washington Park in Waukegan, the City Hall in Highland Park and Larry Reiner Park in Buffalo Grove on Thursday evening.
Approximately 500 each attended the Waukegan and Highland Park rallies, with a couple of hundred estimated at the Buffalo Grove rally.
Protesters marched at the Waukegan rally from Washington Park, on the corner of Washington Street and Park Avenue, down Washington Street into downtown Waukegan.
Attendees held signs such as “Hands off! Resist Trump’s agenda” and “Unite against the oligarchs.”
The march ended in Jack Benny Plaza where local speakers addressed the crowd.
The Lake County protests were co-organized by Lake County Democrats, Indivisible Western Lake County and Indivisible Northeast Lake County. The McHenry County protest was organized by Indivisible McHenry County.
In McHenry County, an estimated more than 1,000 people attended the “Good Trouble Lives On” rally and lined the roadways near Route 14 and Teckler Boulevard in Crystal Lake Thursday evening.
Many protesters held signs referencing the Epstein files, as well as signs referencing to “dump” and “impeach” Trump.