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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 attendees gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was completely sold out. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many viewed the event as a significant moment. It was a occasion of togetherness, frustration and hope all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was straightforward: “I’m here because the system is broken, 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.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a long time. “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 involved now, then when is the right moment?”

Another Forest Hills resident, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the audience mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and older adults all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his first rally 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 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 receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just wishing somebody is proposing some options.”

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

A supporter, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere in his responses in a way that isn’t typically seen in most politicians. 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; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an imam all on stage together in support of his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the importance of electing 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 Trump and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the supporters the importance of her appearance and endorsement.

It was a big contrast 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 the candidate to take the stage, the crowd had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing the former governor.

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

But Mamdani did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to 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 gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately lit up in a multitude of bright phone lights, innumerable.

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