As 20,000 people filled the sidewalks and then the stands at Catalina High School to see progressive leaders from the east coast talk about restoring democracy and standing together — first they heard from Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, who said she almost canceled.

“I am dealing with the greatest loss of my life, after the loss of my amazing father, Congressman (Raúl) Grijalva. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to come today, but I realized there was no better way to honor my dad than to add my voice to this event.”

She said we needed to come together as a community, understand that we are not alone and that this “bro-ligarchy” has got to go.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, are traveling the country hosting rallies called “Fighting Oligarchy.” They were joined by Rep. Greg Casar, of Texas, in Tucson Saturday.

Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, spoke in Las Vegas and Tempe Thursday to large crowds and Greeley and Denver, Colorado on Friday.

Sanders spoke to the sweating crowd as temperatures reached 85 Saturday saying the American people will not let President Donald Trump “undermine 250 years of this country being an example to the world of what democracy is supposed to be.”

Ocasio-Cortez invited attendees to look around and greet someone they did not know to form a connection with another person taking on the fight.

Folks in the bleachers gave loud metal stomps of approval when they liked a speech. And there was screaming and booing anytime Trump or Elon Musk was mentioned.

Casar spoke about empowerment and led a “stand and fight” chant.

Sanders said Trump and billionaires do not have the right to buy elections, cut social security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ programs, Title I funding and ruin programs that the working class needs just to give billionaires tax breaks.

“At the end of the day 99% is a hell of a bigger number than 1%,” Sanders said. “We have 20,000 people here in Tucson and hundreds of millions of people all across this country. Brothers and sisters, don’t let them divide us up by the color of our skin or where we were born or our religion or our sexual orientation. Let’s stand together as one people. Proud people. Let’s take on Trumpism and defeat it.”

Ocasio-Cortez said our political system was not prepared for this abuse of power and role of money in politics.

“Trump handed the keys of government to Elon Musk and is selling the country for parts to the richest people on the planet for a kickback,” she said.

“What these folks want to call radical, I believe, is common sense,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I think that in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, if a person gets sick they shouldn’t go bankrupt. I believe that a minimum wage should cover the minimum cost to live — common sense. And Tucson, I believe that homes are not slot machines for investors and big banks to extort working families out of every last dollar that they have.”

Ocasio-Cortez said we deserve better than this.

“It’s not just about Republicans,” Ocacsio-Cortez said. “We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us too. Standing together is how we win.”

Casar said it is time to take on the rich and fire Musk.

“Donald Trump wants you to feel powerless, the billionaire class wants you to feel powerless because they are afraid of the power on this field, they are afraid of the lines of people wrapping around this high school,” Casar said. “Your power is scaring Republican officeholders from holding any town halls.”

“On our darkest days, I want you to remember there can be a world that is better after this,” Casar said. “There has to be a better world after this.”

Arizona Luminaria chatted with attendees about why they came out to the rally.

Solidarity

Ally May said she came because she wanted to show solidarity, especially with “how scary things have been getting lately.”

She said her biggest concern is immigration policies.

“I think the argument has always been that we should only support people who come here legally and all this rhetoric,” May said. “But the truth of it is, with how fast people are being deported who are here legally, who have followed the ‘rules,’ it’s pretty terrifying. It has been done in less than 90 days.”

She described her experience of coming to the United States with her parents when she was 3, and how challenging the process was. She had a green card for 15 years.

“The process is so difficult, and there’s so many hoops to jump through,” May said. “We should focus more on fixing the broken system than criminalizing people seeking safety.”

Financial aid and education

Rachel Zorr, a junior at the University of Arizona, said she went to see Barack Obama when he came to Tucson and was so excited when she heard Bernie and AOC were coming.

Zorr said one of her biggest concerns is getting rid of the Department of Education, federal funding for medical research and the FAFSA, especially as a college student who relies on financial aid.

“I am planning on going to law school next year, so just that fear of not being able to pay off loans is kind of scary,” Zorr said.

She said she wanted to do something and hear what they had to say.

“I feel like we need a lot of hope right now,” Zorr said.

Alehxa Apodaca, a UA junior, also said she came to the event because she needed hope and something to fight for.

Apodaca said what has been going on with the Trump administration has impacted her personally.

“It affects me and my family and my loved ones, so it is something that really hits home and makes me so angry to see how people are dealing with it,” Apodaca said. “With AOC being a person of color and a Latina, I am so grateful that she is speaking up for my community.”

Clowns

“We got to do something about the crazy government and the clowns in Washington,” said Mike Mylan, who was waiting in line wrapped all the way around the back of the school.

“Who’s really in charge? What’s going to happen to Ukraine? Whose side is Trump on?” he asked.

Trump

Pamela Slavin simply said she showed up because of Trump.

“I don’t have any more words,” Slavin said.

She said she was also worried about the loss of social security.

But, she said she felt hopeful “just knowing that there are this many people that all care about the same things.”

Social Security and Medicare

Kathelyn Morales said she attended to find like-minded people with the same values and for a glimmer of hope for the future.

Morales said Social Security is one of her biggest concerns.

“My mom is set to retire next year, and she unfortunately never had the income to comfortably retire, so she is going to rely on social security and she is going to rely on Medicare,” Morales said. “It worries me a lot because now the government not being able to help her and support her will set me back in my life because I am going to have to now take care of her.”

She said Trump “is playing with people’s livelihood.”

Michael Fortuna agreed.

Fortuna said he hopes we can come together before the next election to be more prepared to avoid staying in “a period where we’re unsure of what is really going on.”

He said his biggest concern is DOGE and Musk.

“I would say that DOGE as an entity is affecting a lot of people’s livelihoods because it’s affecting their jobs,” Fortuna said. “You know, the people getting fired, and then two weeks later getting an email back saying to come. People who were living a normal life are being affected by this one man — who we didn’t even elect.”

He said it does not feel like there is any stability.

“People’s livelihoods are being toyed with as if it’s like a stock market,” Fortuna said.

Fascism and oligarchy

Afterward, attendees said they got hope from the big crowd.

“I wasn’t expecting to see this many people,” Gavin Obert said. “I’m really glad people turned out.”

Crista Moreno said she was thankful for the opportunity to come together.

“It’s no secret that there is going to be a lot of work ahead of us, and I think it’s going to be very dependent on young people,” Moreno said.

Zeri Cardinal said, “I appreciate that they were labeling things like fascism and oligarchy and not beating around defining what it is that we’re seeing.”

This story first appeared in Arizona Luminaria.