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

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the gathering as a significant moment. It was a moment of unity, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the reason 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 place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “It’s thrilling 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 right moment?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, newcomers, young professionals and older adults all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally of the campaign. “I’m here because, well, I want to listen to what they have to say, and there’s no other strong contenders, in my opinion,” he said.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, 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 fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is offering some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

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

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a rabbi, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his bid. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with 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 affordable, but also as a means to send a message to Trump and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to spend as much as they want to elect the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this race is occurring.”

New York governor Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the importance of her appearance and backing.

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 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 the former governor.

“Let our words resound that he 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 Westchester tonight.”

But Mamdani did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and contributed to his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked attendees who had volunteered and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. 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,” Mamdani said in his closing words.