MISSOULA — A crowd of nearly 7,500 gathered at the University of Montana’s Adams Center for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” rally. Sanders, accompanied by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, challenged the influence of billionaires like Elon Musk in politics and the federal budget cuts initiated by President Donald Trump. The rally was part of Sanders’ national tour addressing the power of corporate interests in America.
“Taking on oligarchy is enormously difficult,” Sanders told the crowd. “These guys own the economy. We now have more concentration of ownership than we’ve ever had in the history of this country. They own most of the media. They own the United States Congress and the White House. They got enormous amounts of wealth and power. But, you know what we got? We got the people. And the last that I have heard is that 99% is a hell of a lot bigger number than 1%.”
Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez criticized the GOP-backed budget, which includes tax cuts and reduced social programs. Montana Congressmen Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing, along with Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, supported the measure. Ocasio-Cortez noted, “They know that it is deeply unpopular to chip away at some of the only social safety nets that people have. They know it hurts you, but they are not there to serve working families in Montana. They are there to serve themselves and the billionaires who pay them.”
Sanders accused Trump of undermining the Constitution and violating court orders related to deportations and protests against the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, rally-goer Joe Loviska, a Missoula-based environmental educator, emphasized the need to “fight the oligarchy” even in a predominantly conservative state like Montana.
Over 1,000 people listened to the rally’s audio from outside the packed venue. The event remained peaceful, with a minor disruption by a protester with a Trump flag. The speakers stressed that many Americans struggle with low wages and high costs while the rich get richer. “Everybody needs to have a living wage. Everybody needs to have decent health care,” said Beth Trosello, a small-business owner from Polson.
Non-Montana attendees included Idaho residents Casiana Azzolini and Maddie Gilmore. The pair came to support Democratic organizing efforts and hoped to share Sanders’ message with their communities. The rally also featured Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, who stated, “Musk and the other oligarchs have money and control. But we have the power. Nothing can move without our labor.”
Speakers like Anne Hedges and Sam Forstag highlighted the threat to public lands under current administration policies, urging resistance against efforts to privatize these areas. Forstag emphasized, “We’re under attack by a bunch of people who’ve never had dirt underneath their fingernails.”
Throughout the rally, the importance of solidarity was emphasized. Ocasio-Cortez told the audience, “Community is the most powerful building block we have to defeat authoritarianism and root out corruption.”
—
Read More Montana News
