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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand people gathered at Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was completely sold out. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many viewed the event as a significant moment. It was a occasion of unity, frustration and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the reason to attend was straightforward: “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 place to start.”

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 exciting 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 involved now, then when is the time?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “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 enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, working youth and older adults all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his initial campaign event 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.

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 without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is offering some alternatives.”

Brooklyn, 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 addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very sincere in his responses in a way that isn’t common in most politicians. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Campaign Messages and Highlights

The candidate 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 reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his bid. Brad Lander, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

The senator received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance 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 send a message to the former president and the billionaires he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” 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 election is occurring.”

The state's leader the governor was the only speaker met with divided reactions, with the crowd 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 demonstrate the audience the importance of her presence and backing.

It was a stark difference to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience calling out for her.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the crowd had been more than adequately energized. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words resound 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 Mamdani did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the alliance 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 attendees who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The crowd immediately illuminated in a multitude of glowing screens, too many to count.

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