"Fighting Oligarchy": Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Rally in Folsom

Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brought their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour to Folsom Lake College, marking a significant political moment for the city. The rally drew a massive crowd, filling the campus athletic field and spilling onto the surrounding streets, as supporters and opponents alike gathered to express their views on the speakers and the movement they represent.

A Rare Political Moment for Folsom

The “Fighting Oligarchy” tour stop in Folsom was a rare political event for the city, drawing one of the largest organized single crowds it has ever seen. Originally planned for the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn, the event was moved to Folsom due to unexpectedly high attendance projections. The college’s athletic field transformed into a venue for speeches focusing on economic inequality, labor rights, and government accountability, with attendees coming from across the region.

Estimates from Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders suggested that around 26,000 people attended the rally, though official numbers were not confirmed. The large turnout caused parking lots at the college and nearby businesses to fill quickly, leading many attendees to park in surrounding commercial and residential areas and walk long distances to reach the event. Folsom Police, along with the Los Rios Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, implemented traffic control measures and temporary road closures to manage the congestion. Despite the large crowds, no major incidents were reported.

Ocasio-Cortez's Indictment of Concentrated Wealth

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a passionate speech, opening with what she described as a sweeping indictment of concentrated wealth and political influence. “We are here together because an extreme concentration of power, greed, and corruption is taking over our country like never before. Oligarchy,” Ocasio-Cortez stated.

She also addressed social issues, connecting them to economic imbalance. “The destruction of our rights and our democracy is directly tied to the growing and extreme wealth inequality that has been building in America for years,” she said, arguing that “oligarchy or democracy, but we cannot have both.”

Ocasio-Cortez also touched on concerns about civil liberties, stating, “We are watching as our neighbors, students, and friends are being fired, targeted, and disappeared. It is real. People we love are being targeted and harassed just for being LGBTQ. citizens and immigrants alike, are being disappeared off the street by men in vans with no uniform.”

Early in the event, a plane flew overhead displaying a banner that read “Folsom is Trump country.” Ocasio-Cortez responded by saying, “They said Folsom is Trump Country-it sure don’t look like it today. I don’t think this is Trump Country; I think this is our country.” She also criticized President Donald Trump, calling him “a criminal” and accusing him of fraud, sexual abuse, and stock market manipulation.

Ocasio-Cortez concluded her speech with a call to action, urging attendees to stand together and reject division in order to create a better country. “We don’t have to live like this anymore, Folsom. We can make a new world, Folsom-a better country where we fight for the dignity of all people. It is standing together without exception to reject division. That is the only way that we can win.”

Sanders on Economic Inequality and Healthcare

Senator Bernie Sanders followed Ocasio-Cortez with a speech focused on economic inequality, wages, and healthcare. “We, as Americans, will not accept oligarchy. We will not accept authoritarianism. And we will not accept a rigged economy where working people struggle while billionaires become richer,” Sanders declared.

He used Elon Musk as an example of extreme wealth concentration, stating, “Elon Musk owns more wealth than the bottom 50% of households in America. That, brothers and sisters, is insane.” Sanders advocated for an economy that benefits working people, not just the wealthy elite. “We have got to create an economy that works for working people, not just Mr. Musk and the billionaire class,” he said.

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Sanders also proposed reallocating federal priorities, suggesting a shift from military spending to social programs. “Maybe instead of spending a trillion dollars a year on the military, what about building five million units of low-income and affordable housing?” he asked.

Addressing the issue of wages, Sanders noted, “Over the last 52 years, the average American worker today, in inflation-accounted-for dollars, is earning less than he or she did back then,” arguing that “it is time to raise the minimum wage to a living wage.”

On healthcare, he stated, “We remain the only major country on Earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people as a human right.” Sanders also called out local Congressman Kevin Kiley for supporting tax breaks for billionaires and cuts to programs that benefit the working class.

“Now, you’ve got a congressman here whose name is Kevin Kiley. So I don’t know if Mr. Kiley is watching the livestream or not,” Sanders said. “Well, Mr. Kiley, I think some of your constituents have a message for you: Don’t vote to give tax breaks to billionaires and cut programs that the working class of this country desperately needs.”

Sanders continued, “Just look at what Republicans in Congress have been quietly doing. They have been voting to advance cuts on hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid and veterans’ benefits so they can take that money and give it to their donor class-all in the form of paying for tax cuts for the rich and sweetheart government contracts for their companies like SpaceX. And Folsom, you know who voted for that, by the way? The man who represents you right here in Congress, Kevin Kiley.”

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“Kevin Kiley knows that this is not what you want. He knows that it is deeply unpopular. He knows that it hurts the people of Folsom. But he is not there to serve working families. He is there to serve himself and the billionaire class that put him there,” Sanders concluded.

Additional Voices: State and Labor Perspectives

Jane Kim, California Director of the Working Families Party, opened the rally by addressing the state’s cost-of-living concerns. “I’m tired of reading a headline of another greedy billionaire corporation attacking everyday Americans,” she said, envisioning “a California which invests in affordable homes, fights for clean air and water, and a state where neighbors can walk into a hospital and get care.”

California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez spoke on behalf of organized labor, questioning, “Which side are you on? Are you on the side of the workers breaking our backs to make ends meet… or are you on the side of corporate oligarchs who bust unions, suppress wages, and exploit profits off the sweat of our labor?”

Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, criticized efforts to weaken federal worker protections. “They want you to believe that-after having been around for over nine decades, through wars and terrorist attacks and pandemics-our union is suddenly a threat to national security. Let’s be clear: they don’t want to get rid of our union because of safety or security. It’s retaliation,” Kelley said. He also warned, “This isn’t just about federal workers. This is about every American. If they succeed in silencing us, what’s to stop them from silencing you next?”

Dissenting Voices and Counter-Protests

While the rally attracted thousands of supporters, it also drew a visible response from demonstrators who opposed its message. Groups gathered along East Bidwell Street and near Broadstone Marketplace, waving flags and holding signs.

Keith Dawson, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat and Trump-branded shirt, stated, “This isn’t about oligarchy-this is about socialism trying to creep into our community. We need to support capitalism, our Constitution, and real freedom, not this kind of agenda.”

Inside the event, signs and flags were prohibited, leading many Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez supporters to wear campaign apparel instead. Donna Hayes, wearing a Bernie Sanders T-shirt and Democratic Party pins, said she attended to support a cause that aligned with her values: “I came here because Bernie and AOC are standing up for people like me-working people who feel like we’ve been somewhat left behind these days financially.”

Security and Event Logistics

Security for the event was managed by Los Rios Community College Police with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies. The rally concluded peacefully as the sun set. Food trucks, water stations, and field seating accommodations were provided throughout the afternoon and evening.

The "Fighting Oligarchy" Tour: A Broader Context

The Folsom rally was part of the “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, a national campaign launched by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. Sanders explained his motivation for the tour in an interview, stating, “We can’t go around the world saying, ‘In Russia, Putin has an oligarchy.’ Well, we got our oligarchy too.”

The tour aims to address what Sanders sees as America’s turn toward oligarchy, highlighting the influence of big money in politics and the growing wealth inequality in the country. Sanders believes that the anger of the working class over the economy is due to the rich’s upper hand. While Donald Trump blames immigrants, Sanders blames corporate greed and wealth inequality, advocating for an agenda that challenges powerful special interests and creates an economy and government that works for the working class.

Attendees at the Folsom event expressed their alignment with Sanders’ viewpoints through clothing, signs, pins, flags, and more. Amy Leach, who attended the event with friends, emphasized the importance of fighting for democracy, urging people to “show up, resist and vote.”

Marshall Martin, an ARC Alumni, expressed concern about the state of the country, stating, “I was born in 1942, and I never thought in my lifetime I would see our country in the state it is in.” Bailey Waldrep, a student ambassador at ARC, said she wanted to see Sanders because he represents young people better than other politicians and that “it’s important to fight the oligarchy in America because the power should be in the actual people of the country, not just those who can afford to make their voices heard.”

The crowd slowly filled FLC’s track arena to maximum capacity, with those unable to enter gathering outside and watching through an Instagram livestream on Sanders’ account.

Kiley's Response

Following the event, Congressman Kevin Kiley responded to the comments made by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. In an interview with Fox 40, Kiley stated that the radical policies of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez have failed in other cities, leading to increases in homelessness and crime. “Bernie and Ocasio-Cortez attacked me during their deranged speeches last night, after declining my offer to debate them,” Kiley said.

Kiley also criticized the influence of money in politics, stating that Musk’s millions of dollars into the Trump campaign made him the most powerful person in the United States government, while also acknowledging that the Democrats are also part of the problem.

Inspiration and Call to Action

Despite the challenges and criticisms, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez shared messages of inspiration with the audience, highlighting their ability to make a difference. Sanders emphasized the importance of collective action, stating, “There is only one way we will transform this country - and that is together.”

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