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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately 13,000 supporters filled Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic outdoor stadium was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the rally as not merely a political event. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For one attendee, 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 make a change as a country, and NYC is definitely the place to start.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives in the neighborhood, the energy of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections 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 engaged now, then when is the right moment?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “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 psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, working youth and retirees all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, 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 primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can deliver on all his promises, he’s receptive. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for 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 defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s housing and cost issues. “I think the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like he is very sincere in his responses 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 biggest strength. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing 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, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the significance 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 send a message to the former president and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to invest unlimited funds to choose the candidates they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader the governor was the only speaker met with divided reactions, with the crowd frequently breaking into chants 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 value of her presence and endorsement.

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

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

“Let our message 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 dwell too long on Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition who had supported him for the past several months and helped with his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative 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 arena immediately lit up in a multitude of glowing screens, innumerable.

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