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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately thirteen thousand people gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. City residents of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the event as a significant moment. It was a occasion of unity, frustration and optimism all at once. For one attendee, 23, of Briarwood, the reason to attend was straightforward: “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 New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For a local resident, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the vibe of the event signaled something he hasn’t felt in local politics 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 time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, 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 crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, young professionals and older adults all were present. For an attendee, 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 “public security, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can deliver on all his pledges, 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 wishing somebody is proposing some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their top priorities were protecting LGBTQ rights and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, commending Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like he is very genuine in his responses in a way that isn’t typically seen in most elected officials. He’s a little less lip service-y than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to communicate at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his bid. 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 importance of electing Mamdani to the role of mayor not only for the sake of making the city more affordable, but also as a means to make a statement to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to elect 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 divided reactions, 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, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the value of her appearance and endorsement.

It was a stark difference to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for the candidate to speak, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our words resound that he can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the Democratic candidate said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But Mamdani 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 memorable moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had helped out and canvassed for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately illuminated in a multitude of glowing screens, innumerable.

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