A Nationwide Day of Non-Violent Resistance
Coined by the late civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis, “Good Trouble” refers to the collective struggle and sacrifice of ordinary people in the face of great obstacles, repression, and violence. Refuse Fascism is partnering with many other organizations in this call for a national day of non-violent action to respond to the attacks on the rights and lives of people by the Trump regime. As the Good Trouble Lives On website states, “This is not a day of quiet reflection—it is a day of courage and collective action, just as John Lewis modeled throughout his life.”
If ever there was a time to make good trouble, it is now. Fascism is advancing fast. This summer, Trump and his cheerleaders have been on a rampage—with the illegal bombing of Iran; Supreme Court decisions greenlighting Trump’s fascist edicts and neutering the ability of lower courts to stop his unlawful orders; and the passing of the hideous budget bill – with massive cuts to the social safety net and funds diverted to the rounding up and disappearing of immigrants into networks of concentration camps.
Every decent person must act to stop it now, before it’s too late.
Our good trouble must be unrelenting. It must demand: Trump Must Go Now! Waiting for 2026 or 2028 is accommodation to fascism as it steamrolls toward consolidation.
Trump has made clear that he will not be restrained by the courts, the Constitution, or elections. He is backed by a fascist-majority Supreme Court and a Republican Party and institutions purged of anyone who might oppose him. It is up to the people rising up in massive non-violent but determined resistance to stop this nightmare.
Organize now to make good trouble in your area. Take to heart this excerpt from a recent speech by Sunsara Taylor on overcoming fear and acting with courage and conviction.
“The safety of people standing up matters, but let’s be honest, great horrors are already unfolding and even greater horrors are to come, and there are things that are far bigger than our individual safety. Everybody likes to talk about the good trouble that John Lewis got in, everybody likes to sing the praises of the civil rights movement, but that never would have happened if they were just looking out for their personal safety. They walked into the teeth of armed and violent Klansman and national guard. People sacrificed. They stood up. And it was worth it. That is why Jim Crow was dismantled. That is why we celebrate them.”