[dropcap size=big]M[/dropcap]ore than two thousand people waited in a line that went around the block of the Million Dollar Theatre and beyond in downtown Los Angeles — some as early as 9 am — on Saturday afternoon to hear Bernie Sanders, Real Justice Co-founder and writer Shaun King, Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Patrisse Cullors and other local activists speak on policing, prison reform, and change.
The rally was the last leg of a series of events in Southern California for Sen. Sanders. The longtime Independent became a Democrat just before the 2016 presidential campaign, and finished in second-place in the Democratic primary race behind eventual Dem candidate Hillary Clinton. Sanders is reportedly considering a second run for the presidency in 2020.
Before coming to downtown L.A., Sanders spoke at rally in Anaheim where he advocated for better pay for low-wage Disneyland workers, and at a town hall in Carson where he urged an end to the exploitation and wage theft of thousands of truck drivers. Sander’s visit came right before California voters go to the polls in the 2018 primary, but the 76-year-old senator largely avoided making comments on local races at the Million Dollar Theater.