It was around eight o’clock that I, surrounded by thousands, realized history was in the making.
I had been on line for the Bernie Sanders rally in Washington Square Park since around three. Thousands were in front of me, thousands behind. When I first heard about the rally, I knew it would be huge, but not like this. In total 27,000 people were in the park and 20-25,000 people outside.
I only got the feeling this rally gave me one other time in my life. President Obama’s inauguration in 2008. At that time I was young, but I still understood the consolidation happening. I could feel the overwhelming sensation of hope that filled millions. Sanders’ rally was smaller in size, but no less in impact.
Before I got to 8pm I had to wait in line for several hours. It didn’t feel so long with all that was happening around us. One person brought their dachshund and put a sign on it that said “hot dogs for Bernie." Another person that caught my eye was no more than seven-years old. He was walking around with his dad and a megaphone screaming, “Do you feel the Bern?!” My favorite of all, had to be a man impersonating Bernie who came around several times. He even “fought” a person in a Trump mask at one point.
I was amazed at the range of ages. From that seven-year-old kid to many gray-haired individuals. This event was certainly not just for the millennial.
Around six, we finally got into the park. The crowd level was that of a rush-hour train with a tour of visitors squeezed in for extra discomfort. People were close. You had to just accept that and go with it. People would not go with those standing on benches in front of us, however. Multiple times the crowd chanted “get off the benches”. My personal favorite yell was something along the lines of “Hey one-percenters, stop blocking the view for the other 99% of us”.
After Vampire Weekend played and several people spoke, Senator Sanders finally came onto the stage.
At points it was impossible to see so I just stared at the eagle statue on the arch. It seemed fitting. Not only is that eagle a symbol of America, but that arch is a symbol of American values. Woody Guthrie used to sing “This Land is Our Land” under that arch.
So I stared at the eagle and just listened. Sanders spoke his 50,000 followers about a plethora of ideals. Much of which was just repetitions of what he has already said. The fact that he doesn’t believe in billionaires running the government. The idea that everyone should be paid a living wage. The words that have brought him from an impossible candidate to quite possibly the next president.
It was around 9:30 that I realized it was not his words that were making this night historical. It was the fact that nearly 50,000 people gathered to hear him speak them. Proof that people are sick of the way this country has been run. Proof that change is ahead.
