More than 1,000 people gathered on Monument Avenue on Thursday to honor the legacy of civil rights leader John Lewis and to protest the Trump administration, part of the nationwide Good Trouble Lives On Day of Action.

The event, organized by RVA Indivisible and the Virginia 50501 Movement as part of a nationwide coalition, stretched from Lombardy Street to Willow Lawn, drawing protesters who waved signs, chanted and advocated for a range of causes.

 Siblings Destiny Moore, 10, and Antonio Silas, 8, chant into megaphones on the median of Monument Avenue as drivers pass by waving flags and signs, honking horns and greeting fellow protesters during the “Good Trouble Lives On” demonstration.

 

 

“I like it because it’s across the ages, not just young people, not just older people, it’s everybody, it’s not just African American, it’s not just white,” said Kenneth Brown, a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond. “Everybody’s starting to realize that we got to do something.” 

Participants joined out of concern for the country’s future, to show support for churches advocating democracy and human rights, and to oppose efforts pressuring schools and colleges as well as policies affecting immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities.

Attendees said they were drawing inspiration from the mission of leaders like Lewis. That focus on past civil rights work helped create an enthusiastic atmosphere despite the sweltering heat, with cars honking in support and protesters driving up and down the avenue for hours.

“Those freedom fighters strategized, organized and mobilized and, in so doing, made this country better,” activist Nicole Subryan Bailey said, addressing protesters outside the Church of the Holy Comforter and via a WRIR-FM 97.3 broadcast. “We too have an obligation, a duty to fight the injustices, inequality and cruelty of the Trump administration — to win, and then to build something other and better than we’ve had before.”

More than 40 organizing partners took part, according to 50501 Virginia, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation Virginia, Black Lives Matter chapters, Neighbors for Change, and the ACLU of Virginia. The groups provided water, medical support and information about their efforts.

Demonstrators said they planned to continue their efforts, from participating in upcoming elections to ongoing community initiatives, with some connecting their actions to the civil rights history behind the event. Lewis’ legacy was evident in their words encouraging others to join the fight.

“Don’t just stay home. Come out, be on the streets,” said Ramtin Godminuez, a 38-year-old California native who moved to Richmond at age 7 and attended out of concern for immigrants facing arrest and detainment. “Fight for your rights while you still can.”