‘Good Trouble Lives On’ Rally Draws Hundreds to Santa Barbara Waterfront

Hundreds gathered along Cabrillo Boulevard near Stearns Wharf Saturday morning to celebrate the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis during Santa Barbara’s “Good Trouble Lives On” rally, where organizers said the focus extended beyond protest and toward building a lasting movement. 

Across America, activist groups are pushing back against what they describe as an unprecedented rollback of civil rights. From July 17-19, communities nationwide gathered for demonstrations inspired by Lewis’s call to make “good trouble.”

Unlike the No Kings protests, there was no marching this time around. The energy, however, was much the same. Colorful, clever signs carried witty messages about President Donald Trump, Jeffery Epstein, ICE, and the war in Gaza. 

By 11 a.m., nearly 300 people lined the waterfront. Volunteers in bright-yellow safety vests directed traffic and eagerly waved at passing drivers, who responded with a steady chorus of supportive honks. Others peeled away toward Stearns Wharf, grabbing flyers, markers, and poster board before settling onto the grass to create makeshift signs. 

Saturday’s protest was organized by Indivisible Santa Barbara’s Ian Paige and his wife, Myra Paige, who have spent nearly a decade orchestrating peaceful rallies against the Trump administration. 

“We came about in response to Trump’s first election in 2016 with a commitment to restore democracy and inclusivity,” Ian said. “This weekend, we’re honoring [Lewis] and his idea of making good trouble to keep away the kings.”

As far as counter protesters, Ian said Santa Barbara’s demonstrations rarely draw a significant number of naysayers. Aside from one man shouting not-so-supportive remarks, the atmosphere remained peaceful. Supporters greeted friends and allies, strangers introduced themselves, and a community brimming with love and acceptance made its presence known. 

When disagreements do arise, Paige said he tries to respond with what he calls, “educational de-esculation”

“We’re all passionate Americans with different perspectives,” he said. “Competing viewpoints should never turn into violence.”

The protest also provided an opportunity for local advocacy groups like Commit to Democracy to connect with community members. Led by Myra Paige and Joan Bowman, the Indivisible Santa Barbara–affiliated group organizes postcard-writing campaigns, holds town halls, and contacts voters through text messages and phone banking. 

During the last general election, volunteers sent more than five million text messages, Bowman said. 

Members of Indivisible Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Democratic Women, and 805 UndocuFund mingled throughout the crowd, many sporting colorful crocheted pins handmade by Santa Barbara Craftivists for Change. The volunteer group is perhaps best known for sewing more than 20,000 cloth masks for firefighters, healthcare workers, and community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Among its members was 85-year-old Marian Shapiro, a retired Santa Barbara City College professor and longtime local activist who personally made 3,000 of those cloth masks. She sported a bright-pink shirt and knitted pink cat ears and carried a sign featuring King George III, Adolf Hitler, and Trump alongside the words: “In 1775 we fought a king, 1945 we fought a Nazi, [and in] 2026, we fight a bully & felon & convicted sexual offender.” 

Shapiro maintains an email list of roughly 850 progressive voters, using it to share information about rallies, meetings and political action. 

“It’s word of mouth mostly,” she said. “But I just want to share and give back as much as I can” 

And give back she does. Shapiro has spent much of her life advocating for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, from her years at UCSB to decades of community activism in Goleta. Her commitment rightfully earned her recognition as one of the 2024 Congressional Women of the Year. 

Beneath the blaring horn of passing cars — “good honks” for good trouble — the sound of resilience and hopeful song floated through the crowd. The source? The Singing Resistance Movement. 

“The movement started in Minnesota about four months ago,” organizer Mary Jo DeMeijer said. “Since then, 275 groups now gather nationally.”

Huddled in a circle, members handed out lyric sheets to passersby and welcomed anyone who wanted to sing along. DeMeijer said that in communities with stronger ICE presence, members gather outside immigration detention facilities to sing songs of hope and encouragement to the people inside.

Calli Fonua, an Oxnard native and Santa Barbara City College senior, said she was inspired to get involved with Indivisible after regularly attending local rallies. She said she’s working to launch a student-run Indivisible chapter at SBCC.

“While we can’t technically be affiliated with the school, it’ll be student-based and student-run, and we’ll coordinate with the UCSB student Indivisible group,” Fonua said. 

Fonua is building the chapter from the ground up, creating a website, promoting the organization, working with SBCC’s Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS), and preparing to begin tabling on campus in September to recruit members.

By 1 p.m., the listed end time for the rally, there were few signs of anyone heading home. The good trouble, it seemed, would be living on a little longer.