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

The iconic outdoor stadium was completely sold out. 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 not merely a political event. It was a moment of unity, frustration and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the reason to attend was simple: “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 NYC is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a long time. “It’s thrilling that someone who actually might change things 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, a supporter, 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 enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience mirrored the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, working youth and older adults all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, 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 viable candidates, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

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 deliver on 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 wishing somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their top priorities were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

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

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani had a clear message he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance 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 orbit.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to spend as much as they want to choose the candidates they want. That is the context in which this race is taking place.”

New York governor the governor was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Tax the rich!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the audience the value of her presence and endorsement.

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 the candidate to speak, the crowd had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message resound that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the Democratic candidate said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to 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 illuminated in a multitude of bright phone lights, too many to count.

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