As Anti-Trump Sentiment Grows, US Progressive Political Icon Returns to the Forefront

Progressive Alternative Gains Attention as Democrats Lose Momentum
Surprise Appearance on Coachella Stage

Amid protests against U.S. President Donald Trump held across the United States, the largest gathering took place in Los Angeles (LA), California, over the weekend, drawing a crowd of up to 36,000 people. Notably, 83-year-old Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent?Vermont), a symbol of American progressive politics, is emerging as a central figure in the anti-Trump movement.

Since March, Senator Sanders has been traveling across the United States, starting with Wisconsin and Michigan, holding anti-Trump rallies criticizing the Trump administration as a dictatorial "oligarchy" where a few control the nation's top institutions. AP·Yonhap News

On the 12th (local time), AFP and other foreign media reported that approximately 36,000 people attended Sanders' "Stop Oligarchy" rally held at Gloria Molina Grand Park in LA. Since former Vice President Kamala Harris's defeat to President Trump in last year's presidential election, Sanders has lost political momentum within the Democratic Party but has recently taken the lead in the anti-Trump movement.

Starting in March, Sanders began touring various parts of the U.S., including Wisconsin and Michigan, holding anti-Trump rallies where he criticized the Trump administration as a dictatorial "oligarchy" controlled by a small elite at the nation's highest institutions. The size of these rallies, which initially attracted a few thousand attendees, has steadily increased, with 34,000 people attending a rally in Denver last month. The recent LA rally reportedly drew an even larger crowd of about 36,000. Folk rock legend Neil Young and singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers also took the stage at this LA event.

After the LA rally, Sanders made a surprise appearance on stage at the large music festival "Coachella Music Festival" held in Indio, California. According to AFP, after pop star Charlie XCX's performance ended that night at Coachella, Sanders appeared on a nearby stage, prompting the audience to cheer and rush forward with their phone cameras in hand to see him. On stage, Sanders told the crowd, "The future of what happens in America depends on your generation," emphasizing, "You can turn away and ignore it, but that action will put yourselves at risk."

The size of the rallies, which was initially in the thousands during the early tours, has recently been increasing, with 34,000 people attending the rally held in Denver last month. It is estimated that more than 36,000 people attended this rally in LA. Folk rock legend Neil Young and singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers also participated and took the stage at this LA rally. AP·Yonhap News

Meanwhile, Senator Sanders, representing the northeastern state of Vermont, is a "democratic socialist," a political identity common in Europe but without formal party organization in the U.S. Although an independent, he currently attends Senate Democratic meetings. In the late 2010s, a strong Sanders wave swept across the U.S., reshaping perceptions of the Democratic Party not only among American voters but also internationally.

Sanders' platform, which included universal national health insurance, free public college education, robust climate change policies, and significant tax increases on high-income earners, was considered radical by both Republicans and mainstream Democrats. Declaring his candidacy for the 2019 presidential election, Sanders narrowly lost to then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and did not become the nominee. However, the progressive wave he ignited fueled stronger opposition to the conservative, establishment-protecting policies of President Donald Trump's first term.