Sen. Bernie Sanders greets volunteers after the event to thank them for attending the Fighting Oligarchy rally in Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21. Sanders was joined by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Around 10,000 people showed up in Greeley on Friday for a rally hosted by Democratic U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The appearance of the two well-known lawmakers is part of their "Fight the Oligarchy" tour. The most recent stop included two events in Colorado, the first at the University of Northern Colorado, with a second event Friday night at Denver's Civic Center Park, an event that drew .
In Greeley, a long line stretched around the Bank of Colorado Arena, which only holds 3,000 people, leaving many outside.
Attendees say recent concerns over the federal government cuts inspired them to attend the event.
1 of 11 — Sen. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Claire Witt cheers as Bernie Sanders speaks during senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
2 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 with Sen. Bernie Sanders on their Fighting the Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. She joined Sanders to discuss the deep divide in economics and politics. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
3 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
After the Bank of Colorado arena filled up with 3,000 attendees to the Bernie Sanders/Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Fight the Oligarchy rally, around 6,000 more attendees sat outside to listen to the rally. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting the Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
4 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke to the crowd of rally attendees during her Greeley, Colo. visit on Friday, March 21. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
5 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting the Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
6 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting the Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
7 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Attendees of the Fighting the Oligarchy rally at the University of Northern Colorado cheered during Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's speech. The event was attended by an estimated 10,000 people.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
8 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Len Harris screams out the word "Shame" during the Fighting the Oligarchy rally at the University of Northern Colorado Bank of Colorado arena in Greeley, Colo. Harris was among 10,000 attendees of the Bernie Sanders/Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led event.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
9 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting the Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
10 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
The Fighting the Oligarchy rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena. The rally focused on political changes that are creating economic divides created by the extremely wealthy.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
11 of 11 — Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimat
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting the Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Jennifer Coombes / KUNC
"I work in sort of the federal adjacent sector. So my work is funded by the National Science Foundation, which has been threatened with cuts, and that, obviously, is where the funding for my job has come from," said Ryan Patnaude, an atmospheric scientist in Fort Collins. "So with the threats of job cuts or funding cuts to the NSF, as well as the government shutdown, it's been just a lot of unnecessary stress."
"The money is going to the top, and then they're forgetting about the people who actually need this help," said Ariana Cisneros, who works in disability services in Greeley. "I understand that people take advantage of the system, but there are people who need advocacy to get these services, and they're not getting it."
Sanders focused much of his speech on growing wealth inequality and the influence billionaires have on the Trump administration, calling out Elon Musk in particular.
"So my friends, why is all of this happening? Why is it that the rich get richer and working class people die younger than they should?" Sanders said. "Well, that has everything to do with the fact that we're living in an oligarchic form of society."
He engaged the crowd directly about high costs of living, at one point asking people to shout out how much they have to pay for healthcare.
At another point, he asked for their thoughts on why working class people have lower life expectancies than the wealthy. Research from the National Institutes of Health found that lower incomes are associated with .
Audience members overwhelmingly told Sanders they struggled with stress, especially financial stress over about taxes, bills and daily expenses.
In her speech, Ocasio-Cortez made direct references to Evans in her speech. She stopped short of calling him out by name, but pointed out that Evans hasn鈥檛 held any town halls with constituents.
"I hear that you have a representative who has not done a town hall," said Ocasio-Cortez, to boo's from the crowd, directed at Evans. "If this is the best that that you all are getting, I think you deserve better."
Jennifer Coombes
/
KUNC
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Greeley, Colo. on Friday, March 21 on their Fighting the Oligarchy tour of U.S. cities that are home to closely contested races. The rally was held at the University of Northern Colorado with estimates of 10,000 attendees attending both inside and outside of the Bank of Colorado Arena.
Town Halls
Colorado鈥檚 Republican members of Congress aren't holding any in-person town halls during their recess this week as some of their GOP colleagues are facing a backlash in their home districts over the Trump administration鈥檚 cuts to the federal government.
That鈥檚 why the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to get Republicans elected and re-elected to the House or Senate, has warned its members to only hold virtual town halls.
"It becomes a type of political theater that can go in many different directions, for and against the politician involved and for and against the community members involved,鈥� said Leah Sprain, democratic engagement expert at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Colorado Congressmen Jeff Crank and Jeff Hurd heeded the NRCC鈥檚 warning and held virtual events earlier this month. The state鈥檚 other two Republican members, Lauren Boebert and Gabe Evans, haven鈥檛 held any town halls this year, virtual or in-person.
Democrats, on the other hand, have been eager to get in front of voters, and there鈥檚 a simple reason why the minority party would want to hold town halls.
"Opposition parties that don't feel well represented in Congress hold town halls as a way to both get media attention, but also try to capture opportunities to make their messages more widely heard," Sprain said.
At the same time, they can also be an important part of the democratic process. They鈥檙e one of the only ways elected officials and their constituents connect face-to-face.
Sprain said whether a town hall is productive often depends on how much a candidate balances listening to constituents with using the event as a political messaging tool.
I鈥檓 the Statehouse Reporter at KUNC, which means I help make sense of the latest developments at the Colorado State Capitol. I cover the legislature, the governor, and government agencies.
Alex Murphy is the digital producer for KUNC. He focuses on creative ways to tell stories that matter to people living across Colorado. In the past, he鈥檚 worked for NBC and CBS affiliates, and written for numerous outdoor publications including GearJunkie, Outside, Trail Runner, The Trek and more.
