36,000 gather as Sanders and AOC slam Trump, Musk, and corporate Democrats in fiery speeches
Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) led what they called the “largest rally” of their time together this Saturday in Los Angeles, as part of their crusade against the concentration of political and economic power in the hands of a billionaire elite.
“We are living in a time of extraordinary danger, and how we respond to this moment will not only affect our lives… We live in a time when a handful of billionaires control the economic and political life of our country,” declared Sanders before a crowd of 36,000 people gathered in front of Los Angeles City Hall under a blazing sun.
“We’re not just fighting the oligarchy,” he added. “We’re fighting a president who violates the Constitution every day and threatens our freedom of speech and assembly, whose agents are arresting innocent people in the streets. That’s what happens in dictatorships, not in democracies.”
The rally was informally dubbed “Bernichella,” as it coincided with the same week as California’s Coachella music festival.
Sanders and AOC are currently on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, aiming to mobilize citizens against the outsized influence of billionaires and corporations in U.S. politics, at a time when the Democratic Party is trying to recover from the electoral failures of 2024 and faces growing internal tensions between its progressive wing and the traditional leadership, which is accused of caving to corporate interests.
“Don’t talk to me about democracy when Musk himself can put up $270 million to get Donald Trump elected and then be rewarded with the most important position in the government. And it’s not just Musk and the Republicans—too many Democrats are also listening to billionaires,” Sanders said on Saturday.
The senator, who has expressed concern about the Democratic Party’s disconnect from the working class, also harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s actions regarding Social Security, accusing him of trying to dismantle the program and make it harder for the most vulnerable to access benefits.
Before Sanders took the mic, AOC voiced her support for the working class and condemned the authoritarianism of the Trump administration.
“This feeling like the water is rising to our necks, the fear of being able to speak out… that’s what it feels like to be ruled by millionaires, and it’s only going to get worse,” she stated.
The event featured appearances from iconic artists such as Joan Báez, who performed a version of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and Neil Young, who led the crowd in chants of “Take back America!”
“We’re starting this rally with music because the revolution is going to be joyful and will bring people from all walks of life together to rise up and fight for economic, social, and racial justice!” said Sanders.
Emily, a 30-year-old cheerleader from Pasadena who identifies as a Democrat, attended the rally with her friends intending to “build community” at a time when division and fear dominate the nation.
“The best way to respond is by organizing—nothing is set in stone,” she told EFE. “People are very scared of global and technological changes, and for the MAGA crowd (Trump supporters), it’s easy to blame migrants or trans people; it has a lot of echoes of Nazism.”
The rally also drew independents who, although not fully aligned with Democratic ideology, trust politicians like Sanders.
“I support Sanders more than AOC. I think Democrats don’t try hard enough to win and they have too many meaningless political positions. But I’m here because I really value democracy,” said Jake, a 35-year-old man from the San Fernando Valley.
AOC and Sanders will continue their tour through other cities in California, Utah, Idaho, and Montana, where they also aim to recruit candidates who share their values to run in Republican-leaning areas where Democrats have lost ground.
