WEST PALM BEACH — Hundreds of people came together across Palm Beach County on a hot July night at forums, protests and a march to Mar-a-Lago to honor the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the former civil rights leader who urged people to get in “good trouble” to address the nation’s needs.
Nearly all those who gathered July 17 for the “Good Trouble Lives On'” events opposed the policies of President Donald Trump in areas as diverse as immigration, education and budget cuts to programs like Medicare that are considered vital to the nation’s social safety net.
Many who took part in hundreds of events across the nation called for political action to drive the Republican majority out of Congress in the 2026 elections.
“Real change happens when the people who need it lead it. So if we’re willing to step up and to be that voice and to be that person, then we can bring about the inspiration that those who have gone before us gave to us,” Ricky Aiken of Inner City Innovators, a West Palm Beach nonprofit that mentors teens, at a forum at the Canyon Branch Library in suburban Boynton Beach.
Tensions flared over Trump along the Southern Boulevard bridge
The events followed on the nationwide “No Kings” rallies on June 14, including one that drew more than 1,000 people to Meyer Amphitheatre in downtown West Palm Beach.
That day also featured a march toward Trump’s mansion — Palm Beach police blocked marchers from crossing the Southern Boulevard bridge just before they reached the barrier island — but the July 17 march had a chippier tone, even as Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement, was known for nonviolent protest.
A few counterprotesters supporting Trump confronted the “Good Trouble” marchers, and the two sides traded words — including taunts about COVID-19 vaccines delivered through a bullhorn — and a small amount of shoving before law enforcement stepped in. It was unclear whether officers made arrests at any of the events.
The anti-Trump tone was evident at other events, too. Profane banners about the 47th president greeted those who attended a forum on the life and legacy of Lewis at the South County Civic Center in suburban Delray Beach.
“No sign is big enough to list all of the reasons I’m here,” read the oversized placard of one woman seated along Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, where more than 100 people stood in protest to Trump’s policies.
Lewis led a life of action before becoming an Atlanta-area congressman for more than 30 years. He took part in lunch-counter integrations in Nashville, helped to organize the March on Washington and received a beating in the 1965 Selma march. Many of those who turned out July 17 expressed disillusionment and wondered what they could do.
“Trump has turned around what I grew up knowing America means,” said Nan Reiner, 69, who took in the vigil in West Palm Beach, her third anti-Trump protest of the year.
Speakers at the forums in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach address some steps people could take as they look ahead to the 2026 elections, when Democrats hope to win back at least one chamber of Congress and use that control to thwart Trump’s policies.
Besides Aiken, panelists in Boynton Beach included Josh Weil, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate; Adrienne Percival, director of development at the Compass Community Center and a queer woman; 18-year-old Nick Ostheimer, president of the Democratic student organization at Florida Atlantic University; and Lev Parnas, a former advisor to Trump who has now become a whistleblower against him.
Each panelist said Democrats should be talking about issues like affordability, the economy and the treatment of minorities. They also agreed it was important to challenge leaders when governments turn toward authoritarianism, as many have accused the Trump administration of doing.
“Organizations like the ones here tonight are here to show MAGA that it’s just as important to show up and speak out about issues, just like you all are doing now,” Weil told the full house of about 200 people.
Continuous engagement, however, can come at a cost. At the Delray Beach forum, FAU professor Deandre Poole urged the 200 people to find balance, even stepping away from the 24-hour news cycle when needed.
More concretely, he urged people to start where they are: by organizing their families, checking if relatives and neighbors are registered to vote and volunteering in ways that don’t lead to burnout.
“You don’t have to do everything — just do what you can,” he said. “One person really can make a difference.”
As a professor, Poole said he challenges his students to see themselves as “change agents” — capable of solving the problems they see in society. He extended that message to the audience, encouraging them to share their time and expertise with local organizations, especially grassroots ones.
“You are the leaders. You’ve been equipped. You have the knowledge, you have the experience. Even if you’re retired, you can contribute to organizations that need your expertise,” said Poole, who was joined on the dias by state Rep. Debra Tendrich, D-Greenacres; Shawn Ho-Hung King, founder of the Talented Teen Club; and Dr. Renata Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition.
One leader’s appeal: ‘We have become so disconnected to humanity’
The evening in Delray Beach also touched on urgent concerns such as the detention facility nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” which has drawn criticism from immigrant rights advocates. One speaker reminded the crowd that all these issues in the end are about people’s lives.
State Rep. Debra Tendrich shared her firsthand impressions after recently touring the immigration detention center in the Big Cypress National Preserve east of Naples.
“You saw people protesting it on one side, and you saw people celebrating the death of people and the deportation of people on the other,” she said. “You can’t celebrate somebody getting fed to alligators. It was so disrespectful and unkind.”
Tendrich underscored the emotional toll on children and families, particularly those directly affected.
“There are 10-year-olds watching the news and seeing that celebration while their father is in Alligator Alcatraz,” she said.
“We have become so disconnected to humanity.”
Valentina Palm, Jasmine Fernández and Francesca Abarca are journalists covering Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach them at vpalm@pbpost.com, jfernandez@pbpost.com and fabarca@pbpost.com. Help support our work. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: A night of ‘Good Trouble’: Hundreds turn out to honor John Lewis, oppose President Trump
Reporting by Valentina Palm, Jasmine Fernández and Francesca Abarca, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
