More than 100 gathered in Burk Burnett Park downtown yesterday for Good Trouble Lives On, the local iteration of a national day of protest. The title is in honor of civil rights leader and Congressmember John Lewis on the fifth anniversary of his death at a time when the federal government continues stripping away rights from millions of citizens.
Protesters stood in solidarity with signs invoking resistance and demanding reform while organizers and guests spoke with urgency, spotlighting national concerns like the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, sweeping Medicaid funding cuts, and unconstitutional mass deportations. (There were only a couple mentions of the Epstein scandal currently rocking the White House and the very foundation of Donald Trump’s support.) Speakers also tackled local issues such as the proposed resegregation of Keller ISD and gerrymandering efforts led by Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare.
“In Tarrant County, we are not new to voter suppression tactics. Hello, Tim O’Hare!” said Perla Bojorquez, co-leader of the progressive group Indivisible 12. “Every time we get closer to voting out the good ’ol boys, Republicans find an excuse to gerrymander again and again.”
Local rock singer-songwriter Denver Williams opened the evening with a performance of the “National Anthem” followed by impassioned speeches from co-host of the 817 Podcast EJ Carrion, Keller school district student-activist Heath Shiflett, local Communist Party rep Cassandra Swart, and political organizer Carrington Sneed. Ernie Moran and others also performed.
