Morris Township’s ‘Good Trouble’ Rally To Protest Trump, Memorialize Civil Rights Leader

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — On the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights leader and former congressman John Lewis Thursday, tens of thousands of people are expected to protest the Trump administration in “Good Trouble Lives On” rallies across the country, including in Morris Township.

The civil rights titan coined the phrase “good trouble” to describe the peaceful, non-violent demonstrations that upended discriminatory Jim Crow policies of America’s Deep South and led to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Lewis, who died in 2020, was one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump during his first administration.

Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the “attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration,” according to organizers.

Morris Township’s rally will be held this Thursday at the Morris Township Town Hall, located at 50 Woodland Avenue. The protest is set to take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

In a matter of months, the Trump administration has taken broad action through executive action and Department of Government Efficiency cuts to upend civil rights polices Lewis and other civil rights leaders fought for decades ago, The Washington Post, New York Times and others have reported.

As with the No Kings protests earlier this year, a core principle of the Good Trouble Lives On rallies is a commitment to nonviolent action.

“We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events,” organizers said. “Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”

• Related: Civil Rights Titan John Lewis, 80, Leaves Legacy Of ‘Good Trouble’

Criticisms Of Protests

Several members of the Trump administration have criticized recent national mobilizations.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called the No Kings protests “a complete and utter failure.”

Trump himself addressed the protests, of which an estimated 5 million people attended, saying he doesn't feel as though he's earned the title of king.

“I don’t feel like a king,” Trump said in a June press conference. “I have to go through hell to get stuff approved… We’re not a king, we’re not a king at all.”