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

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

Many characterized the event as a significant moment. It was a moment of unity, discontent and hope all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Queens, the reason 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 NYC is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event signaled something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “It’s thrilling 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 involved now, then when is the right moment?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this movement. 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 crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, young professionals and retirees all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his first rally 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can deliver on all his promises, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just hoping somebody is proposing some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and tackling the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

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

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an imam all on stage together in support of his campaign. The city’s comptroller, 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 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 a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to elect the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this race is taking place.”

The state's leader the governor was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the crowd frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the supporters the importance of her appearance and backing.

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 Mamdani himself to take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message resound 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 Mamdani did not dwell too long on his opponent, 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 helped with his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had volunteered and canvassed for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately illuminated in a multitude of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we achieve liberation,” the candidate said in his closing words.