
“Welcome to Berniechella,” Maggie Rogers says to the crowd. It’s Saturday afternoon and tens of thousands of people— 36,000 we’re later told— packed into Gloria Molina Grand Park to fight oligarchy alongside Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Rogers, the Grammy-winning recording artist, is there to perform, as are Dirty Projectors, Joan Baez and Neil Young. To be honest, the downtown Los Angeles stop on Sanders’ Fighting Oligarchy tour isn’t all that different from a music festival, although it did not cost half-a-month’s rent to attend.
Outside the event gates, people hustle for causes and cash. Sign this petition! Buy this shirt! On Hill Street, near the Grand Park Metro stop, vendors hawk merch to the beat of the old school funk jams pulsing across the sidewalk. Badges with some variation of “Fuck Trump” are common. The AOC shirts in Lakers colors provide a nice, local touch.
Continue reading When the Sound of L.A. Is Fighting Oligarchy