Latest news with #TheRedPears
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bernie Sanders, AOC Headline Massive Rally in Downtown L.A.
'It's not 'Bernie,' it's you!' said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent serving Vermont, as he was met with the chant of 'Bernie! Bernie!' when he took the stage in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. 'We're going to make our revolution with joy! We're going to sing and dance our way to victory against hatred and divisiveness,' he added, insisting that the very presence of the crowd was making Trump and Musk 'very nervous.'The Los Angeles stop is part of Sanders' national Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here tour, a campaign he described as a grassroots pushback against the Trump administration and its billionaire allies. Among them, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez named tech mogul Elon Musk, whom they criticized for wielding outsized political influence as Trump's top advisor and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, echoed his warnings while focusing on immigration. She cited two recent incidents where federal agents allegedly attempted to access Los Angeles Unified School District campuses. 'It was the teachers and principals who stood strong and said 'No' to protect their kids,' she said. 'Because it will never be just institutions and officials alone that uphold our democracy. It will always be the people, the masses who refuse to comply with authoritarian regimes."Los Angeles City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez also spoke, calling the moment 'dangerous' and warning that 'our country is descending into a fascist oligarchy right before our eyes.' Her criticisms went beyond the current administration: 'If you think Trump and Elon just snapped their fingers and started destroying our democracy, I need you to wake up. They didn't break the system: They're operating it exactly as it was designed.'The event was peppered with performances from musical icons and indie favorites alike. Joan Baez and Neil Young shared the stage with rising stars like Maggie Rogers, Jeff Rosenstock, Indigo De Souza, and The Red Pears. Raise Gospel Choir lifted the raucous crowd early in the of Congress, including Reps. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles), Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) and Ro Khanna (D-San Francisco) also addressed the L.A. appearance wasn't Sanders' only moment in the California sun this weekend. In a surprise cameo at Coachella, the senator made an impassioned speech before Clairo's set, where he applauded Clairo for her activism and urged festival-goers to mobilize against Trump's policies and vote for progressive change. View the to see embedded media.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bernie Sanders rally in LA draws thousands to protest Trump: ‘We can't just let this happen'
The Vermont senator Bernie Sanders drew a record-breaking crowd at his rally in Los Angeles on Saturday, which included musical acts from Joan Baez and Neil Young, who encouraged the crowd to 'take America back'. Sanders's Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go from Here tour has been drawing massive crowds. Aided by the progressive New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the team set the record in Tempe, Arizona, for biggest-ever political rally in that state three weeks ago. In Denver, Colorado, more than 34,000 people showed up – a career-high crowd for the 83-year-old Sanders. Saturday in Los Angeles saw another record: at least 36,000 people packed a downtown park. A host of musical acts kicked off the high-energy event, including the indie rock band The Red Pears, Maggie Rogers, Indigo de Souza, and legends Baez and Young. On a perfect LA day with a gentle breeze and blue sky, Young, wearing all black, performed for the crowd before introducing Ocasio-Cortez, who was met with the wild applause usually reserved for a rock star. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, told the crowd at Gloria Molina Grand Park – a space named after the trailblazing Angeleno often credited for paving the way for women and Latinos in LA politics – that 'power, greed and corruption are taking over our country like never before'. She named some California lawmakers who have supported recent Trump policies, including Bakersfield representative David Valadao and representative Young Kim of Orange county. The Raise gospel choir sang out 'power to the people', and Sanders took the stage. 'We are living in a moment where the Republican party to a large degree has become a cult of the individual, obeying Trump's every wish,' Sanders told the crowd, adding that the Trump administration is now 'plotting how they can give $1.1tn in tax breaks to the rich'. The politician's critique of the administration – and the corrupting influence of big money and billionaires in US politics – lasted more than 40 minutes. The message has taken on a new resonance in the second Trump administration, as Americans have watched Elon Musk take a chainsaw to the federal government and threatening popular safety-net programs like social security and Medicare. These are the issues that brought out Cindy and Victor Villanuevo. Cindy has battled multiple sclerosis for the past decade. 'I'm here because I'm disgusted about what Trump is doing to science. It's a disgrace. When you cut funding, there's no hope for any of us,' said the Buena Park mother. Her sister, Rose Matthews, a retired teacher, is concerned about social security, for people who work at veterans' affairs and for veterans' benefits. 'I know the folks at the Long Beach VA very well because my husband battled ALS for four years,' she said. 'The work they do with the vets is incredible and much needed. Now I'm worried that's going away. We can't just let this happen.' Ali Wolff and Myylo Lewis took the 94 bus from Silver Lake to attend. They said the bus had been packed with Bernie supporters – and it felt good. 'It's terrifying what's been happening,' said Wolff. 'It's a relief just being here with so many like-minded people.' Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie are the 'closest thing to a version of America you actually want to live in', said Lewis. Sanders, an independent who votes with Democrats, launched the tour in late February, offering Democratic voters an outlet for their fury and grief at a moment when most of their leaders in Washington appeared disoriented by the speed of Trump's second-term power grabs. The Vermont senator has held events in big cities like Denver and Phoenix, while also targeting Republican-held districts that voted for Joe Biden in 2020, as Democrats contemplate a path back to power in 2026. Ocasio-Cortez joined Sanders for part of his tour last month, raising questions about her political aspirations and the future of the progressive movement he has been building since before she was born. On the stage in Los Angeles, progressive congressmembers Pramila Jayapal of Washington state and Ro Khanna of California, as well as many union leaders representing teachers, nurses, longshoremen and healthcare workers all addressed the crowd. Eunissess Hernandez, who represents LA's first city council district, gave a particularly powerful address, saying the Trump administration was trying to divide people and get them to blame each other for their problems instead of blaming the people who are 'actually profiting from our pain'. Sanders's western tour will continue with stops in Utah, Idaho and Montana. The tour will return to California on Tuesday for events in Folsom and Bakersfield, a Republican stronghold, which has one of the highest levels of Medi-Cal enrollments in the state. The agricultural community, which is in Kern county, was also the locale of a January immigration raid that resulted in 78 arrests many contend were a result of shocking and unlawful racial profiling. Sanders railed against the raid, describing it as the US government 'disappearing people'.
The Guardian
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Bernie Sanders rally in LA draws thousands to protest Trump: ‘We can't just let this happen'
The Vermont senator Bernie Sanders drew a record-breaking crowd at his rally in Los Angeles on Saturday, which included musical acts from Joan Baez and Neil Young, who encouraged the crowd to 'take America back'. Sanders's Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go from Here tour has been drawing massive crowds. Aided by the progressive New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the team set the record in Tempe, Arizona, for biggest-ever political rally in that state three weeks ago. In Denver, Colorado, more than 34,000 people showed up – a career-high crowd for the 83-year-old Sanders. Saturday in Los Angeles saw another record: at least 36,000 people packed a downtown park. A host of musical acts kicked off the high-energy event, including the indie rock band The Red Pears, Maggie Rogers, Indigo de Souza, and legends Baez and Young. On a perfect LA day with a gentle breeze and blue sky, Young, wearing all black, performed for the crowd before introducing Ocasio-Cortez, who was met with the wild applause usually reserved for a rock star. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, told the crowd at Gloria Molina Grand Park – a space named after the trailblazing Angeleno often credited for paving the way for women and Latinos in LA politics – that 'power, greed and corruption are taking over our country like never before'. She named some California lawmakers who have supported recent Trump policies, including Bakersfield representative David Valadao and representative Young Kim of Orange county. The Raise gospel choir sang out 'power to the people', and Sanders took the stage. 'We are living in a moment where the Republican party to a large degree has become a cult of the individual, obeying Trump's every wish,' Sanders told the crowd, adding that the Trump administration is now 'plotting how they can give $1.1tn in tax breaks to the rich'. The politician's critique of the administration – and the corrupting influence of big money and billionaires in US politics – lasted more than 40 minutes. The message has taken on a new resonance in the second Trump administration, as Americans have watched Elon Musk take a chainsaw to the federal government and threatening popular safety-net programs like social security and Medicare. These are the issues that brought out Cindy and Victor Villanuevo. Cindy has battled multiple sclerosis for the past decade. 'I'm here because I'm disgusted about what Trump is doing to science. It's a disgrace. When you cut funding, there's no hope for any of us,' said the Buena Park mother. Her sister, Rose Matthews, a retired teacher, is concerned about social security, for people who work at veterans' affairs and for veterans' benefits. 'I know the folks at the Long Beach VA very well because my husband battled ALS for four years,' she said. 'The work they do with the vets is incredible and much needed. Now I'm worried that's going away. We can't just let this happen.' Ali Wolff and Myylo Lewis took the 94 bus from Silver Lake to attend. They said the bus had been packed with Bernie supporters – and it felt good. 'It's terrifying what's been happening,' said Wolff. 'It's a relief just being here with so many like-minded people.' Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie are the 'closest thing to a version of America you actually want to live in', said Lewis. Sanders, an independent who votes with Democrats, launched the tour in late February, offering Democratic voters an outlet for their fury and grief at a moment when most of their leaders in Washington appeared disoriented by the speed of Trump's second-term power grabs. The Vermont senator has held events in big cities like Denver and Phoenix, while also targeting Republican-held districts that voted for Joe Biden in 2020, as Democrats contemplate a path back to power in 2026. Ocasio-Cortez joined Sanders for part of his tour last month, raising questions about her political aspirations and the future of the progressive movement he has been building since before she was born. On the stage in Los Angeles, progressive congressmembers Pramila Jayapal of Washington state and Ro Khanna of California, as well as many union leaders representing teachers, nurses, longshoremen and healthcare workers all addressed the crowd. Eunissess Hernandez, who represents LA's first city council district, gave a particularly powerful address, saying the Trump administration was trying to divide people and get them to blame each other for their problems instead of blaming the people who are 'actually profiting from our pain'. Sanders's western tour will continue with stops in Utah, Idaho and Montana. The tour will return to California on Tuesday for events in Folsom and Bakersfield, a Republican stronghold, which has one of the highest levels of Medi-Cal enrollments in the state. The agricultural community, which is in Kern county, was also the locale of a January immigration raid that resulted in 78 arrests many contend were a result of shocking and unlawful racial profiling. Sanders railed against the raid, describing it as the US government 'disappearing people'.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bernie Sanders' L.A. ‘Fighting Oligarchy' Rally to Feature Neil Young, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers & More
Sen. Bernie Sanders' 'Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here' tour will fire up again this weekend when he brings a roster of heavy hitters with him to Los Angeles's Gloria Molina Grand Park. In addition to the firebrand Vermont independent, the event will also feature his tour mate, Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as Neil Young, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers. Others slated to perform at the rally include: Jeff Rosenstock, Dirty Projectors, Indigo De Souza, The Red Pears and the Raise Gospel Choir. More from Billboard Shaboozey & Myles Smith Eye New Heights With New 'Blink Twice' Single: Stream It Now Adam Levine Recalls Paul McCartney's Reaction to Beatles Cover: ' We Did It Better' NIKI Takes on Chappell Roan's 'Casual' for 'Like a Version' Sanders has been very vocal in his disdain for the Trump administration's ruinous tariff policies this week in the midst of a stock market meltdown that has spurred fears of a global recession, or possible depression, as a result of the President's unpredictable threats and retreats on international trade policy. During a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, Sanders lambasted Trump's pugilistic approach to foreign policy, saying, 'We don't have to hate China. We don't have to hate other people. Let's figure out a way to work together.' With Trump threatening greatly increased tariffs on most countries in the world, then doing a sudden about-face just hours before they were slated to go into effect this week — while boosting tariffs on China to 125% — Sanders, 83, added, 'The goal has got to be to break down these barriers that separate us as human beings — come together as Americans and come together globally as human beings.' The whipsawing of the markets has touched nearly every aspect of the economy, including music stocks, which saw large declines last week after the President's so-called 'Liberation Day' imposition of tariffs on all U.S. trading partners. The ensuing Wall Street bloodbath kicked off a massive decline across a number of stock indices, with a wide range of music stocks suffering major declines ranging from 6.8% for MSG Entertainment to 13.9% for Sphere Entertainment Co. last Thursday. Sanders and AOC have been barnstorming across the country on their tour, drawing thousands, and in some cases tens of thousands, at rallies in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. At a March 7 event in Kenosha, WI, Sanders invited Laura Jane Grace on stage to perform a new song called 'Your God (God's D–k),' which caused some outrage online about its profane lyrics and religious themes. in the song, Grace notes that some while religious conservatives are struggling to use the proper pronouns for trans people, they have no problem when it comes to gendering a deity. 'Does your god have a big fat d–k?/ 'Cause it feels like he's f—ing me,' Grace sings on the track. 'Are his b–ls filled with lightning?/ Do they dangle like heaven's keys?' Check out the poster for the event below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
