ON JULY 17, SEIZE THE MIC: Call Out 50501 and their “Good Trouble” Facade
The United Liberation Front for Palestine unequivocally condemns the latest 50501 campaign, which once again attempts to subdue and neutralize real resistance under the guise of symbolic, empty action—this time cloaked in the language of John Lewis’s “good trouble.”
For months, 50501 has sought to deflect the growing anger over the boomerang effect of American imperialism—now manifesting on its own soil—into a narrow, partisan narrative focused solely on Donald Trump, as if he alone were responsible for decades of American violence and oppression. This deliberate framing obscures the bipartisan nature of US support for stricter borders, heavy policing, and israel’s occupation and genocide—reducing a global struggle for liberation to a campaign slogan.
These campaigns are not meant to disrupt or challenge the systems of power that enable this government’s crimes, but to protect those very systems by containing public outrage within the confines of the Democratic Party and its allies. The evidence? Look to those sponsoring this event.
This latest effort is no different. By invoking John Lewis, 50501 is distorting history for its own political gain.
We remind our allies and comrades of the full record:
John Lewis, despite his historic role in the Black freedom struggle, was an ardent supporter of Zionism. He championed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, supported unconditional military aid to israel, and was praised by AIPAC as a “stalwart friend of the pro-israel community.” His unwavering support for the israeli occupation stands in direct contradiction to the ideals of justice and liberation he is now being used to symbolize.
50501’s campaign erases this reality and weaponizes the language of Black radicalism to shield Amerikkkan imperialism and silence Palestinian voices. This is not good trouble, as they claim. This is controlled opposition. This is how empire disarms movements before they can threaten its power.
Even their own words expose their priorities. In promoting their event, 50501 calls for “crowd control” volunteers—not to protect participants from state violence, but to keep the crowd orderly and the event within acceptable limits. They emphasize over and over to “stay peaceful,” framing resistance as nothing more than a managed photo-op in an attempt to distract from the actual violence that the state has monopolized.
Even more troubling, they continue to demand RSVPs from participants, collecting names and contact information despite the known risks of state surveillance, infiltration, and retaliation. This is not the behavior of a movement committed to protecting the people. It is the behavior of one committed to protecting itself.
This is not resistance. This is theater.
The examples of Camarillo, Oxnard, and Los Angeles this past week—of steadfast community members resisting against the oppressive forces of the terrorist organization known as ICE—showed us all profound examples of true courage, collective power, and the uncompromising will of the people to defend their dignity and their neighbors in the face of state violence. Holding signs and platforming soulless politicians is the exact opposite.
We call on all liberation organizations, grassroots formations, and principled individuals to seize the mic. On July 17th, in your respective cities, do not allow 50501 to speak in your name. Take the microphone. Do not allow their staged, managed spectacles to drown out the uncompromising demand for an end to Amerikkkan complicity in genocide. Do not allow their empty slogans to replace true resistance.
The 50501 movement is not a force for liberation. It is a mechanism of control. Its campaigns are designed to redirect, pacify, and defang the people’s anger, keeping it safe for the institutions that murder and disposes our peoples here on Turtle Island and in Palestine.
We reject their false choices. We reject their hollow calls for “action.” We reject their co-optation of our struggles.
We call instead for principled, coordinated, grassroots resistance—direct action, boycotts, walkouts, divestments, and unflinching solidarity with the people of Palestine and all oppressed peoples.
The United Liberation Front for Palestine stands ready to work with any organization or individual prepared to confront this charade directly and to reclaim the streets, the narrative, and the momentum for the cause of actual liberation.
Seize the mic. Palestine cannot wait. Our detained families cannot wait. Neither can we.
Long live the global Intifada.
United Liberation Front for Palestine
Statement — July 14th 2025
