SWAMPSCOTT — As drivers passed the Civil War Monument on Thursday afternoon, a steady chorus of honking horns was met with waves, cheers, and handmade signs as dozens gathered to honor the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis and his call to make “good trouble.” 

The demonstration was one of thousands of “Good Trouble Lives On” events that will be held across the country over the July 17 weekend, honoring the sixth anniversary of Lewis’ death. Sponsored by North Shore Indivisible, the Good Trouble protest also marked another weekly installment of standouts at the Monument led by Hands Off Swampscott, bringing together residents calling for peaceful civic engagement on issues ranging from voting rights to immigration. 

Leslie Smith Rosen, founder and chair of North Shore Indivisible, said Lewis’ lifelong commitment to civil rights continues to inspire her activism. 

“I think about his actions, the Selma to Montgomery march. I think about what he endured in terms of physical beatings and things like that. I think about him as one of the speakers at the March on Washington in 1963,” Rosen said. “I think of all that he went through and then still stood up and became an important representative in the House of Representatives, and he was still fighting when he died at the age of 80. … I think of him as an inspiration.” 

A retired history teacher, Rosen said she chose to leave the classroom two years earlier than planned so she could devote herself full-time to organizing. 

“I taught history for 43 years, and after Trump was elected, I told our principal … ‘I have to fight this full time,’” Rosen said. “Teaching history for all those years — if you see something, you have to say something.” 

Michael Paquette, a North Shore Indivisible organizer who can be found at the Monument every Thursday, said the weekly demonstrations serve as both a public statement and a way to build community among participants. 

“They see us here every week, and that’s a good thing. We’re not going away. We’re here for the long run,” Paquette said. “Visibility is important.” 

Paquette said the demonstrations also give participants a chance to encourage one another while showing passing drivers that the movement remains active. 

“I try to create a community here with these folks,” he said. “They look forward to coming each week and just being with like-minded people, so that in and of itself is very important to all of these folks, including me. I really get a lot out of this and feel like I’m doing something against what’s happening.” 

Among those in attendance was Bethany Andres-Beck, a candidate for the 6th Congressional District, who said they attended Thursday’s demonstration after what they described as another troubling week of immigration enforcement. 

“I’m outraged that we’ve had two more people shot and killed by the paramilitary force Trump sent out into America. And Congress has not taken responsibility, and has not been doing their job.” Andres-Beck said. “This is exactly why we have all this energy and enthusiasm and people who are ready for things to be better — for a Congress that will actually do its job.” 

Andres-Beck said they actually had the opportunity to meet and speak with Lewis in 2016, and still remembers the conversation and Lewis’ legacy of advocacy that extends beyond any one moment in history. 

“He talked about the way this work is a forever project,” Andres-Beck said. “It’s a lot of work, and democracy doesn’t end … we’ll get wins; we’ll have setbacks. But the worth is: what is it that we build together? What politics do we want? And how do we find the people who care the same way we care?” 

Another protest-goer, Swampscott’s Betty McNeil, also recalled a chance encounter with the late civil rights leader and Georgia Congressman. McNeil, who said she hadn’t gotten involved in politics until later in life, once spoke to Lewis during a school trip and, although she wasn’t familiar with his advocacy at the time, recalled him being very nice. 

McNeil decided to attend Thursday’s protest, even though it fell on her birthday, because she said the issues were very important to her. 

“I wasn’t going to come today because of my birthday, but I’m happy to do it,” McNeil said. 

During Thursday’s event, McNeil showed off a stack of red keychains, which are printed in different languages with instructions on what a person can do if they encounter ICE. McNeil gives out keychains to people or businesses who may need help. She said she participates regularly in the Hands Off Swampscott weekly standouts.

“I’m here for democracy. This is terrible what’s going on. Every day you think it can’t get any worse, and it gets worse,” McNeil said. “The corruption is unbelievable.”