Senator Elizabeth Warren held a speech Monday night at East Los Angeles College. The event was to highlight Warren’s Democratic presidential candidacy platform . Students, families and Warren supporters gathered to listen to the candidate. She spoke on climate change policies, equal pay rights, LGBT community policies, and education debt reformation. 

Dream Big Fight Hard

Crowds of people began to line up for the event around 5pm in the ELAC front quad. Guest speakers took the stage at 6pm. Diego Sepulveda, Deputy Organizing Director of California, was the first speaker of the night. “Tonight, I stand on the shoulder of giants,” Sepulveda said referring to his immigrant parents and family members. “I am here because of their sacrifices, their hopes, and their dreams.” Sepulveda spoke on growing up undocumented. He shared personal stories of the challenges he faced. Sepulveda closed out his speech by urging people to go out and vote. He left the crowd with the chant “Dream big. Fight hard.”

Warren took the podium at 8:15pm. Her speech was immediately interrupted by three protesters holding up signs that read “Let Dairy Die.” After a few minutes, police escorted the protesters off stage and Warren proceeded with her speech. “My name is Elizabeth Warren and I’m the ma–woman who is going to beat Donald Trump,” she said. Warren went on to talk about the scale of the election, and how important it is for the democratic party to take Trump out of office.

Warren Speaks out for Janitors and Latinx

The labor union organization, SEIU (Service Employees International Union), was referred to several times in Warren’s speech. She referred to herself as “the daughter of a janitor”. Warren’s speech revolved around the plight of janitors during the union strikes that took place in Century City in 1990. She spotlighted notable Latinx figures from the Los Angeles area, such as Dolores Huerta, establishing her knowledge on labor reformation movements that originated in the historically democratic state. 

Warren did not hold back when it came to denouncing President Trump’s policies on immigration and equality. Many undocumented immigrants choose California to be their home for its progressive ideals. Warren explained, “workers are workers regardless of status.”

SEIU representative Denise Quinn-Allen stated, “[She] has stood up for labor policies when it’s mattered most and labor is an important factor in our country.” With her references to the “Justice for Janitors” movement of the 90s, Warren expressed the importance of nonviolent protests as the preferable means to “stand up and fight.”

As she culminated her speech, Warren made sure to emphasize the Democratic party must beat Trump at all costs.