A crowd of more than 11,000 people gathered at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the University of Northern Colorado campus in Greeley Friday afternoon. They were there to see U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The appearance is one of many stops the duo is making on a Western United States tour, part of Sanders' national "Fight the Oligarchy" circuit.
A second Colorado rally is planned for 5 p.m. Friday at Civic Center Park in Denver. Organizers are preparing for an estimated 25,000 attendees.
Here's what Denverite photojournalist Kevin J. Beaty saw on the scene in Greeley.
People wait in a very long line to see Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speak at the University of Northern Colorado. March 21, 2025. 
People wait in a very long line to see Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speak at the University of Northern Colorado. March 21, 2025.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stopped to greet some of her fans before her 'Fight Oligarchy' rally in Greeley, March 21, 2025.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke to a crowd of over 11,000 people in Greeley, March 21, 2025. 
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke to a crowd of over 11,000 people in Greeley, March 21, 2025.
"If you don't know your neighbor, it's easier to turn on them. That's why they want to keep us separated, alone and apart. Scrolling on our phones thinking that the person next to us is some kind of enemy, but they're not."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
"The American people are saying loud and clear, we will not accept an oligarchic form of society. We will not accept the richest guy in the world running all over Washington, making cuts to the Social Security administration, cuts to the Veterans Administration, almost destroying the Department of Education all so that they could give over a trillion dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest 1 percent."
Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders addressesd the crowd at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the Univeristy of Norhtern Colorado campus in Greeley, March 21, 2025. 
An enthusiastic crowd clapped and cheered for Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during their "Fight Oligarchy" rally in Greeley, March 21, 2025.
"I'm really concerned about poor people in the United States, working class. I'm really disappointed that the Democrats in some sense seem to have abandoned working class people. And this is something I really admire about Bernie and AOC. I'm not interested in this centrist, Democratic message of staying the course."
Bonnie Auslander, resident of Lyons, Colo.
Audience Editor Lauren Antonoff Hart produced this story.
