ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Calling for a renewed fight against economic inequality, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont brought his “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour to Asheville on Sunday, drawing a crowd that wrapped around the Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville.

By early afternoon, the line of people waiting to enter stretched around the building. Attendees wore Sanders gear, union T-shirts and apparel advocating for democracy, civil rights and voter participation.

The prevailing message among the crowd was a call to action in support of the middle class, working class and poor.

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AJ Smith, 77, said she never expected to attend another protest after her activism during the Vietnam War.

“I thought when I finished with Vietnam that I’d be done. But this one, I had to,” said Smith, a cancer survivor. “My first protest was the one in March. Doing this has helped me manage my stress and given me the ability to breathe.”

The first attendees began lining up outside the arena around 11:30 a.m., with the crowd growing steadily by 1 p.m.

By the time the speakers started, the venue, which seats more than 7,000, was mostly full. Organizers have not released attendance totals.