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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand attendees filled Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to energize the event.

Many characterized the rally as a significant moment. It was a moment of unity, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was straightforward: “I’m here because the government sucks, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should make a change as a country, and New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the vibe of the event signaled 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 similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, young professionals and retirees all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Queens, it was his initial campaign event of the campaign. “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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s open-minded. “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 hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and addressing the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his responses in a way that isn’t typically seen in most elected officials. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his bid. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to make a statement to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the candidates they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the importance of her presence and backing.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to speak, the audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message resound that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in Westchester tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead devoting the second part of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The crowd immediately illuminated in a multitude of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.