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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 supporters gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

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

Many characterized the gathering as a significant moment. It was a occasion 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 system is broken, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should make a change as a country, and New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a while. “It’s thrilling that someone who actually might make a difference 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 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 cast ballots earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, young professionals and retirees all were in attendance. 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 the Astoria resident, 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 receptive. “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 wishing somebody is offering some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and tackling the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think Mamdani is doing a excellent work of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

A supporter, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “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

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an imam all on stage together in backing his bid. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of voting for Mamdani to the position 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.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to elect the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this race is occurring.”

New York governor the governor was the only speaker met with divided reactions, with the crowd frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “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 appearance and endorsement.

It was a stark difference 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 hesitate at taking jabs the former governor.

“Let our message ring so loud 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 Westchester tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead devoting the latter half of his speech to thanking the alliance who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and canvassed for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we achieve liberation,” the candidate said in his closing words.