Deep-red Folsom, California turns blue for Sanders-AOC 'fight oligarchy' tour

FOLSOM, California: In Deep-red Folsom in northern California, tens of thousands of people lined up for hours to see Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the latest stop in their "Fight oligarchy" tour.

The event, which was originally planned to take place in nearby Auburn, was relocated to the large sports stadium of Folsom Lake College.

As people made their way through the serpentine line that extended miles into residential neighbourhoods, carrying folding chairs and tables, a small aeroplane overhead displayed a banner reading "Folsom is Trump Country" in red letters.

It was a clear reminder of stark political divisions in the United States and of the groundbreaking nature of the left-wing politicians' tour–stopping in deep red areas to generate enthusiasm for progressive policies.

Though most attendees appeared to be dedicated Democrats, there seemed to be a sense of urgency in coming out for the rally at this moment in history, as US President Donald Trump undertakes a massive crackdown on immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, the federal government, and the First Amendment.

In a sign of the times, a poster at the entrance to a building on the Folsom Lake College campus read "What do to if immigration officials are on campus" in both English and Spanish.

Many attendees struggled to narrow down the most important issues that had brought them to the rally, often saying there were too many to list.

"The government is putting their foot on the neck of everyone who doesn't have a voice, and that’s why I'm here. I’m just a middle-aged white guy trying to be supportive of everybody else that doesn’t have a voice," Kevin Arends, a local resident, told The New Arab. He said this was the second political gathering of his life, after the "Hands Off" rally two weeks ago.

Sitting nearby, his friend, Brian Cox, said he had come to the rally because he feared for the future of the democracy that his son would inherit. In the background, Sam Cooke's civil rights anthem "A Change is Gonna Come" was playing, as the crowd continued to gather on the lawn of the stadium.

Even with the tense politics that had brought people out to the event, there was an infectious festive atmosphere, unusual for a non-election year.

"This is fabulous. The fact that all of these people have come out to help either get him out of office or put a stop to this craziness," Lucy Morales, a resident of Sacramento, California's capital city, told TNA. "There are more and more people coming out."

Morales is no stranger to political demonstrations, having marched with labour organiser Cesar Chavez in 1963. "It's in my blood. My dad would be really proud of me."

Once the stadium had filled to nearly 30,000 people, the speeches began with local leaders, starting with Folsom Lake College student body president Aisha Shah, Working Families Party California state director Jane Kim, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions Lorena Gonzalez and American Federation of Government Employees national president Everett Kelley.

As Ocasio-Cortez took the stage, she said it was important for everyone to stand together and to reject division, describing their movement as being about class solidarity.

"We have to stand together. We cannot be tempted to turn in our neighbours or be fooled into thinking that we’re really that much different," she said.

She also turned her attention to recent government deportation orders for Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil and Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk, saying that those who have spoken out on Palestinian human rights have been specifically targeted.

"We must acknowledge forthright the terrifying moment that we are in right, that what we are hearing and seeing with our own eyes is in fact happening," she said.

"We are watching as our neighbours, students, friends are being fired, targeted and disappeared. It is real. People we love are being targeted and harassed just for being LGBTQ, our co-workers, US citizens and immigrants alike are being disappeared off the street by men in vans with no uniform. Educators are being fired for teaching American history accurately," she said.

"And Activists are being detained with no charge or evidence for using their First Amendment rights, especially if they are using those First Amendment rights to speak up for Palestinians and to end the war in Gaza," she said to loud applause.

When Sanders took the stage, he quickly shut down chants of his name, Bernie, saying that people should instead look to themselves and the way to save democracy was through community organising.

Separating himself and other progressives from many mainstream Democrats, he suggested that they would need to do more than just be against Trump, but would need to create a new vision of the country that would include universal healthcare, a higher minimum wage, campaign finance reform and world-class education.

"We have got to create a vision of what a new America is about, where we have a government and an economy that works for all of us–not just the few," he said.