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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 people poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. City residents of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many viewed the rally as not merely a political event. It was a moment of togetherness, frustration and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was simple: “I’m here because the system is broken, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should bring about reform as a country, and New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might change things is appearing in an area that I’m in,” he said. “If it’s here, it’s like, why not? If we’re not gonna be engaged now, then when is the time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this movement. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were preparing to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the audience mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, working youth and older adults all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally of the election season. “I’m here because, well, I want to listen to what they have to say, and there’s no other strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just wishing somebody is offering some alternatives.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and tackling the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think the assemblyman is doing a great job of focusing on everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very genuine in his responses in a way that isn’t common in most politicians. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani had a distinct theme he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to send a message to Trump and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this race is taking place.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the importance of her appearance and endorsement.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for the candidate to speak, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words ring so loud that he can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the Democratic candidate said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in Westchester tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to thanking the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and canvassed for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we set ourselves free,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.