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OAKLAND — Sen. Elizabeth Warren drew thousands of fans to Laney College on Friday night for a town hall that she described as her largest event in the country so far, a show of force for the progressive presidential contender.
An estimated 6,500 people waited in a line that stretched for blocks. Organizers had relocated the event from the gymnasium to the much larger soccer field that morning, but it still took two hours for everyone to make it through the gate, delaying the start by an hour.
Despite the wait, the crowd was in good spirits, cheering at Warren’s proposals to end corruption in Washington and booing references to the Koch brothers. Warren said little about big tech during her speech, focusing instead on the influence of money in politics and issues facing the middle class.
The candidate is in town for the state Democratic convention in San Francisco this weekend, where she and 13 other presidential candidates will make their case to party insiders and activists. California’s March 3 primary is expected to play a more important role than in past years due to its earlier spot on the calendar.
The rally marked the largest presidential campaign event in Oakland since California Sen. Kamala Harris’ kickoff rally in January, which attracted 20,000 people to Frank Ogawa Plaza.
Warren didn’t take crowd questions, which she blamed on the late hour. Instead, she opted to address a few topics she’s been asked about frequently at prior town halls. The first was gun violence.
“It’s not just the mass shootings. It’s the ones that never make the headlines. It’s the kids who are shot at the playground, on the sidewalk, in their own homes. Gun violence touches families every day,” she said. “On the question of gun violence, I will be fearless.”
She also dedicated significant time to student loan debt, the needs of working mothers and the importance of Medicaid, a safety net for millions that often lands in Republican crosshairs.
After her speech, Warren stuck around for selfies with hundreds of attendees who were undeterred by the chill.
Rachel Johnson-Farias arrived at the rally a Warren fan already. “She’s the only politician right now with a concrete plan – and she has a concrete plan for everything,” she said.
Johnson-Farias, who was joined by her husband and two young children, said she particularly favors Warren’s calls for free universal child care and preschool.
She also noted that the crowd was significantly more white than the city around it. Nearly two-thirds of Oakland residents are people of color.
“I was pretty sold before, but now I’m more committed to getting out and campaigning, especially in communities of color,” Johnson-Farias said after Warren’s speech. “I’m hoping to get more people of color in the fight.”
Jordan Long-Copes, a Laney student who dropped out of Moorehouse College with two years of accumulated debt, hopes Warren’s star continues to rise. He appreciates her straight-forward approach to explaining policy proposals, something he thinks other Democratic candidates have failed to do.
As for the misogynistic rhetoric so common in American politics, the successes of politicians like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY and Ilhan Omar, D-MN, have given him hope for 2020.
“Most Americans are sexist – like, 99%,” Long-Copes said. “But with Trump, I think nobody’s going to care anymore. If you’ll be a good president, people will vote for you.”
