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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately 13,000 people gathered at 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 completely sold out. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many described the event as not merely a political event. It was a moment of unity, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the motivation 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 starting point.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, 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 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 engaged now, then when is the right moment?”

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 preparing to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the audience reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, young professionals and retirees all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, 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 strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his pledges, 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 wishing somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

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

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

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity 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. Brad Lander, a past contender 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 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 make a statement to the former president and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” 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.”

New York governor the governor was the only speaker met with divided reactions, 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 demonstrate the supporters the importance of her presence and backing.

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

“Let our message ring so loud that Cuomo 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 Westchester tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead devoting the second part of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him 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 illuminated in a multitude of glowing screens, too many to count.

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