Dozens arrested after Bernie Sanders speech at May Day protest in Philly – Washington Examiner
On May Day,a significant rally took place in Philadelphia with hundreds of participants expressing their discontent with wealth inequality and the influence of billionaires in politics. Senator Bernie Sanders addressed the crowd, criticizing the U.S. government as being dominated by the wealthy elite, including President Donald Trump and business magnates like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. He called for economic reform, urging his Democratic colleagues to stop defending the status quo that benefits the rich while leaving working-class individuals struggling.
The event, organized by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO, also featured speeches from union members targeting federal budget cuts under the Trump administration. Following Sanders’ speech, which highlighted the growing oligarchic nature of American society, protesters marched through the city, leading to disruptions and the arrest of 70 individuals for ignoring police requests to keep roads clear. Despite the intended peaceful nature of the exhibition, authorities expressed concerns over safety and traffic issues resulting from the protests.
Dozens arrested after Bernie Sanders speech at May Day protest in Philly
Hundreds gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thursday afternoon to participate in the “For the workers, not the millionaires, May Day rally.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who reportedly has a net worth of $3 million, addressed the crowd protesting millionaires and “the oligarchy” in the U.S. Sanders spoke before those in attendance, harshly criticizing the policies of President Donald Trump and his administration.
“Today we have government of the billionaire class by the billionaire class and for the billionaire class,” Sanders said in his speech. “And we will not allow that to continue.”
Sanders also made thinly veiled criticisms of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos during his speech on Thursday. The socialist senator from Vermont identified them, along with the president, as wealthy elitists exploiting everyday Americans for their benefit. It has been the central theme Sanders has used in his “Fighting Oligarchy” national tour.
“Oligarchy is a president who, when he gets inaugurated, doesn’t hide it — right behind him are the three wealthiest people in America,” Sanders said, referring to Musk, Bezos, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who were at Trump’s inauguration and contributed millions of dollars to it. “So let us be clear and lay it out on the table in the year 2025. In America, we are now living in an oligarchic form of society.”
Incidentally, Sanders did not mention the billionaires who contributed to President Joe Biden’s inauguration activities in January 2021.
The rally began around 4 p.m. It was organized by the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO and included speeches from multiple union members, according to Philadelphia’s NBC 10. They blasted billionaires and the Trump administration, explicitly mentioning the president’s cuts to federal agencies through the Department of Government Efficiency. Sanders noted this and criticized the wealth inequalities throughout Pennsylvania and the nation.
“And here is the bottom line, and I say that to my Democratic colleagues in the Congress,” Sanders said. “Stop defending the status quo economically. An economy in which the rich get richer and working people struggle should not be defended.”
After Sanders’s speech, protesters marched throughout the city and, in multiple instances, ignored requests by the Philadelphia Police Department to make way for traffic in the area. At one point, protesters blocked an intersection to the entrance of an interstate highway through Philadelphia. After multiple warnings from law enforcement officials, police began to arrest unruly agitators, 70 people in all, according to reports.
“While the demonstration was intended to be peaceful, it led to the blockage of a major roadway, causing significant traffic disruptions and creating safety concerns for both protesters and motorists,” said the Philadelphia Police Department. “Officers on the scene issued multiple warnings instructing participants to clear the highway.”
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