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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand supporters poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was filled to capacity. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to energize the event.

Many viewed the rally 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 Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event signaled something he hasn’t felt in city elections 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 engaged now, then when is the time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s exciting 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 psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd 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 election season. “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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate 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 without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is proposing some options.”

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

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere 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

The candidate had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. 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 former candidate 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 importance of voting for Mamdani to the position 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 wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “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 backing.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, 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 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 ring so loud 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 he did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to 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 helped out 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 set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his final remarks.