By Lawrence Hamm\People’s Organization For Progress
Photos: People’s Organization For Progress
Social justice advocates held a Good Trouble Lives On March and Rally to protest the disastrous policies of the Trump administration and commemorate civil rights icon John Lewis on July 17th at the Rodino Federal Building in Newark, New Jersey.
The event was sponsored by the People’s Organization For Progress and the Martin Luther King People’s Convention for Justice and Resistance.
The demonstration began in the 93 degree heat with a rally at the Rodino Federal Building which opened with remarks from Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress. He said that the protestors had come there to make “good trouble” in the spirit of civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis.
Hamm talked about the many years Lewis spent fighting for racial justice during the Black Freedom Struggle. He said Trump was trying to reverse what Lewis and the Civil Rights Movement had achieved.
He further stated they were there to protest the Trump administration’s racist and fascist attacks on Black and Brown people, working and poor people, people’s rights, social programs, civil liberties, and democracy itself.
The Solidarity Singers followed with songs from the civil rights and labor moments. Charles Hall, President, Local 108 Retail Wholesale Department Store Union UFCW spoke of the importance of continuing the fight for racial and economic justice and building the movement against Trump.
Jennifer S. Higgins, President, American Federation of Teachers-New Jersey, addressed the crowd and expressed solidarity on behalf of her organization for the protest.
Assatta Mann and Nuzhat Chowdhury both gave remarks on behalf of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. They discussed racial disparities in the state and called upon the state legislature to pass the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act of New Jersey.
A representative of Garden State Equality, a gay rights organization, addressed the gathering and discussed the importance of fighting for equal rights for all.
Daniel Karny, a school teacher and resident of Newark, gave a speech discussing the importance of the immigrants rights struggle, expressing opposition to Trump’s immigration policies, and criticizing the tactics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
At about 5:15pm the crowd moved off of the sidewalk and held a “sit-in” in the north bound lanes of Broad Street. While the protestors were sitting and standing there Robyn Spencer, a school teacher and New Jersey resident, read the speech that John Lewis gave at the 1963 March On Washington.
Lewis was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March On Washington where Dr Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have A Dream Speech.” He was also the president of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). His speech was controversial at the time.
SNCC fought for civil rights but was also opposed to the U.S. war in Vietnam. In the original draft of his speech Lewis expressed opposition to the war. However, march organizers removed that part of the speech before it was given.
Ms Spencer read the unedited version of the speech during the sit-in. She said the speech that Lewis gave 62 years ago sounded like he was talking about today.
Och Robinson, a local activist, discussed the oppression of Palestinians and Israel’s genocidal war against them, the importance of coalition building, and made a call for increased youth activism. Mirely Peralta, a Latina activist, talked about how the challenges faced by immigrant communities today is rooted in historical oppression of migrant workers from Mexico in the United States.
Bonita Herndon, president of the Nurses section of HPAE Local 5089, and Ryan Novosielski, president of the professionals section of Local 5089 both gave statements of solidarity, and discussed the importance the labor struggle and the struggle for health care in this country.
Hanif Denny, an African American man and New Jersey resident, talked about the importance of everyone, especially the youth, getting involved and staying in the struggle for justice.
Zayid Muhammad, a long time activist and a leader of New Jersey Communities for Accountable Policing gave an impassioned and fiery speech. He talked about the need to continue fighting for political prisoners in the United States. He named many of them including Imam Jamil Al-Amin (formerly known as H. Rap Brown), and writer and author Mumia Abu Jamal. Muhammad also talked about the on-going struggle against police brutality.
At about 6:00pm the protestors left the federal building and began their one and a half mile march in the sweltering heat to the Martin Luther King statue on Dr Martin Luther King Blvd in Newark. In the front of the march two people carried a banner with a picture of John Lewis and a slogan that read: John Lewis Good Trouble For Justice. Two others carried a banner that said “Impeach Trump.”
The marchers yelled various chants along the way including “Trump Must Go.” Many people in cars and trucks passing by demonstrated approval by raising their fists and blowing their horns in support. When they arrived at the statue they concluded the rally singing the old civil rights song “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Us Around.”
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