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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand supporters poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. City residents of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the younger generation that seemed to animate the atmosphere.

Many described the gathering as more than just a rally. It was a moment of togetherness, discontent and optimism 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 New York City is definitely the starting point.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, 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 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 time?”

Another local, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this movement. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the crowd reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, young professionals and older adults all were in attendance. For Mitch, 68, from Astoria, it was his first rally of the election season. “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.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For the Astoria resident, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can deliver on all his pledges, 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 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 the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of addressing everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

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

Rally Speeches and Moments

The candidate had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s greatest asset. At one point, he had a Jewish leader, a Christian minister, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in backing his campaign. Brad Lander, a past contender in this election, also came out to endorse 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 economical, but also as a means to send a message to the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to choose the candidates they want. That is the context in which this election is taking place.”

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!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to demonstrate the supporters the importance of her presence and backing.

It was a big contrast to Congresswoman AOC, 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 ring so loud that he can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the Democratic candidate said. “Let them be so powerful 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 expressing gratitude to the alliance 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 canvassed for his campaign to turn on their lights. The crowd immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we achieve liberation,” the candidate said in his final remarks.