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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand attendees gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to energize the event.

Many described the gathering as not merely a political event. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was simple: “I’m here because the government sucks, 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.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a while. “It’s exciting that someone who actually might make a difference is showing up 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 time?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and retirees all were present. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, 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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether Mamdani 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.”

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

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

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani 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 reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his campaign. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance of voting for 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.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to spend as much as they want to choose the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this race is taking place.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with divided reactions, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the audience the value of her presence and endorsement.

It was a big contrast to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for the candidate to take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words resound that he 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 the suburbs tonight.”

But Mamdani did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and canvassed for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately lit up in a sea of glowing screens, innumerable.

“Our work has only just begun. On 4 November we set ourselves free,” Mamdani said in his closing words.