CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — Despite below-freezing temperatures and strong winds, hundreds of community members gathered Sunday at West Side Park in Champaign to protest the first year of the Trump administration.
Protesters marched in loops around the park as passing cars honked in support. The rally was organized by the Champaign-Urbana Resistance Effort, or CURE, a group founded in March 2025 to oppose policies of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Concerns over U.S. military actions were also raised during the protest. Speakers criticized American involvement in Venezuela and urged support for war powers legislation and condemned U.S. military strikes on Venezuelan boats that reportedly killed more than 100 people. The White House has defended the actions as self-defense carried out in international waters and in compliance with the laws of armed conflict.
Sunday’s rally was not CURE’s first demonstration this year. The group previously organized a “Good Justice Caravan” protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent.
At the park, opposition to ICE remained a central focus. Protest leaders carried flags reading “Abolish ICE,” while many participants displayed signs calling for the agency’s elimination. The rally also coincided with tributes to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., with signs honoring his commitment to civil rights and equality.