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

The iconic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the event as not merely a political event. It was a moment of unity, discontent and optimism all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Queens, the reason to attend was simple: “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 NYC is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a long time. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might make a difference 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 local, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “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 psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, young professionals and older adults all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his initial campaign event of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to hear what they have to say, and there’s no other viable candidates, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his pledges, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were protecting LGBTQ rights and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of focusing on everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 30, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he is very sincere 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 bid. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the importance of voting for Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more economical, but also as a means to send a message to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to spend as much as they want to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Tax the rich!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the audience the value of her presence and backing.

It was a stark difference to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at criticizing the former governor.

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

But Mamdani did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead devoting the second part of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and helped with his record-breaking 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 arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, innumerable.

“Our work has only just begun. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.