'Good trouble' protests held at Ohio Statehouse
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Tens of thousands of people across the country, and hundreds in central Ohio, protested against the Trump Administration Thursday.
The protests were inspired by civil rights icon John Lewis, who died five years ago. He was an advocate for voting rights and civil disobedience. The movement drew on his call to make "good trouble, necessary trouble" in the fight for justice.
The "Good Trouble Lives On" protests are directed at what organizers said is the Trump Administration's rollback of civil rights, reigniting Lewis' legacy of nonviolent resistance.
"We're not going away," protester Fitz Green said. "This is just the beginning and we will be out in the streets until justice is done, until this administration changes its tune, changes its course."
A group gathered at Second Baptist Church in Columbus Thursday afternoon for a kickoff rally.
"Everybody should have the opportunity to say what is in their heart, in their mind and their spirit on the issues," organizing director Deidra Reese said. "And that's what this is about. The people that are gathered here today believe in freedom. They believe in liberation. They believe in the power of the people. And that's what John Lewis stood for and what he was about."
Leaders there said they believe in the power and promise of democracy, but they're concerned about the direction the country is headed.
"When we come together and we do this, we continue to win," Reese said. "We don't have to accept anything that comes from narrow-minded politicians because they represent us. And we know that we have the power to put them in place, but also to take them out."
The group marched from the church to the statehouse to join a larger crowd at the volunteer-led 50501 movement. The protests follow recent immigration raids and cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs for low-income Americans.
"All the safety nets are being wiped out, and as a retired nurse and as a veteran, I know many veterans, too, and many older people and younger people, all that rely on these services," protester Michelle Phillips said.
The White House said President Trump is delivering on what voters elected him to do.
"This huge bill that just made ICE the largest and most well-funded political law enforcement agency in the country, it has a bigger budget than the US Marines and so they're going to be in our streets and rounding people up even more than they already have been," Green said.
Late congressman John Lewis implored people to participate in 'good trouble, necessary trouble' to advance their causes, which is exactly what organizers said they're doing.
"We know it's wrong," Reese said. "So, we're going to continue to say it's wrong and we're going to speak up for what's right. And we're going to do everything we can to turn things around. We're not going to accept what's been done as if it's the final decision."
According to 50501 organizers, around 600 people were at Thursday's protest.
"If we return to love, that's going to be the ticket right there," Phillips said. "It's not about the hatred. It's about love."