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On Monday, during an election campaign-style rally in Nampa, Idaho Senator Bernie Sanders had two anti-genocide protesters ejected from the event by police for unfurling a banner depicting the Palestinian flag with the phrase “Free Palestine.” As the protesters were dragged away by police, thousands in the arena erupted into cheers of “Free Palestine,” drowning out Sanders’ attempts to quell their anger.

For nearly two months, tens of thousands of people across the United States have been attending rallies held under the banner of “Fighting Oligarchy” and headlined by Sanders and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

However, it is necessary to take stock of the political tendencies claiming to be “fighting oligarchy.” What role—if any—should Sanders, his protégé Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Party play in this struggle?

The episode in Nampa, Idaho, helps answer this question. Under conditions in which Israel is systematically exterminating, starving and ethnically cleansing the entire population of Gaza, Sanders declared at the rally that Israel “has the right to defend itself.”

As Sanders said these words, two rally attendees dropped a Palestinian flag banner over the giant American flag that was positioned behind the stage.

At the sight of the banner, the packed auditorium roared in approval, with many standing and cheering in extended applause.

An order was quickly given by Sanders’ campaign to have the banner removed. Local police ripped down the banner and detained those who unfurled it. Sanders did not tell the cops to leave the anti-genocide protesters alone, doing nothing to protect them even as the crowd continued to protest the police assault.

Amid growing boos and chants from the crowd, Sanders raised his hands and said, “Shhhhhh!” This had the opposite effect; thousands began chanting, “Free Palestine! Free Palestine! Free Palestine!” with many raising their fists in solidarity.

For the last 18 months, the Democratic Party, in alliance with the Republicans, has armed, funded and politically backed the genocide in Gaza. In the opening months of the genocide, both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez vocally opposed a ceasefire in Gaza, with Sanders declaring in November 2023, “I don’t know how you can have a ceasefire, [a] permanent ceasefire, with an organization like Hamas.”

Ocasio-Cortez publicly backed US arms sales to Israel, declaring, “on the sole principle of Iron Dome and defense, I absolutely think there’s an openness, for sure.” Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Biden in 2020 and, after he had orchestrated the Gaza genocide, in 2024.