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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately 13,000 people filled Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the rally as a significant moment. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the motivation to attend was simple: “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 in the neighborhood, the vibe 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 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 time?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s inspiring 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 audience reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, working youth and retirees all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Astoria, it was his initial campaign event of the election season. “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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “public security, the trains being safe, and affordability”, 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 offering some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s housing and cost issues. “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 genuineness: “I feel like he is very sincere 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; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his bid. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing Mamdani to the position of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to make a statement to Trump and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

The state's leader the governor was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically shout “Tax the rich!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the supporters the importance of her presence and backing.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to speak, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message ring so loud that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting 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 gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately lit up in a multitude of glowing screens, innumerable.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.