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Just over a week before New York City’s mayoral election on November 4, approximately 13,000 people filled the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” event, headlined by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The historic outdoor stadium was packed to the rafters. City residents of diverse ages and origins came together, but it was the Gen Z crowd that seemed to energize the event.

Many described the event as a significant moment. It was a moment of unity, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 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 bring about reform as a country, and New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

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 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 time?”

Another Forest Hills resident, Emily, 29, shared a similar enthusiasm: “I think it’s exciting to be a part of this energy. 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 crowd reflected the city itself. established New Yorkers, recent arrivals, young professionals and older adults all were in attendance. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally of the campaign. “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.

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 skeptical about whether Mamdani 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 hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their top priorities were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think Mamdani is doing a great job of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, praising 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.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

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 imam all on stage together in backing his bid. The city’s comptroller, a past contender in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers 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 wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get one vote,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the backdrop in which this election is taking place.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only presenter met with mixed responses, with the crowd frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically shout “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the supporters the importance of her presence and endorsement.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, 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 audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hesitate 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 powerful that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative 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, too many to count.

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