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

The iconic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to energize the event.

Many characterized the gathering as not merely a political event. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the motivation to attend was straightforward: “I’m here because the government sucks, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should bring about reform as a country, and NYC is definitely the starting point.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 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 make a difference 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 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 enthusiastic 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 present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, 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.

Key Issues and Voter Concerns

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “public security, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to pay for all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in without prejudice, and just wishing somebody is offering some alternatives.”

Another attendee, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were protecting LGBTQ rights and tackling the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his responses in a way that isn’t typically seen in most elected officials. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

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 rabbi, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his bid. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

The senator received the biggest cheers of the evening, tied with only the mayoral candidate. 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 send a message to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the chance to invest unlimited funds to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader the governor was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the audience the value of her presence and backing.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for Mamdani himself to take the stage, the audience had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“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 dwell too long on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance who had backed his campaign 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 activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately illuminated in a sea of glowing screens, too many to count.

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