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Just over a week before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand people poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many characterized the rally as more than just a rally. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 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 bring about reform as a country, and New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “It’s thrilling 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 right moment?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting 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 diversity of the audience mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, young professionals and older adults all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Queens, 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 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 doubtful about whether the candidate 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 wishing somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine 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

Mamdani had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause 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 send a message to Trump and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is occurring.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently breaking into chants 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 demonstrate the supporters the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a stark difference 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 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 message resound that Cuomo 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 the suburbs tonight.”

But Mamdani did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to his historic 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 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 final remarks.