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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 supporters poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” rally, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to energize the event.

Many described the gathering as not merely a political event. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, 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 New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event signaled something he hasn’t felt in local politics in a long time. “It’s exciting 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 engaged now, then when is the right moment?”

Another Forest Hills resident, a supporter, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this movement. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, young professionals and retirees all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Astoria, it was his first rally 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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate can deliver on all his promises, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just wishing somebody is proposing some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their top priorities 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 concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like he 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.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

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 imam all on stage together in backing 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, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the significance of electing 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 orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to choose the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is occurring.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with mixed responses, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” 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 endorsement.

It was a stark difference to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after Hochul 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 mayoral debate 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 mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so powerful that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But Mamdani did not focus excessively 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 helped with his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had helped out and canvassed for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, innumerable.

“We are just getting started. On 4 November we set ourselves free,” the candidate said in his final remarks.