🔗 Share this article

Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on November 4, approximately 13,000 people poured into Forest Hills stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, senator Bernie Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The iconic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many viewed the gathering as not merely a political event. It was a occasion of togetherness, discontent and optimism all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was straightforward: “I’m here because the government sucks, to be honest with you … and I feel like we should make a change as a country, and New York City is definitely the place to start.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For a local resident, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the energy of the event reflected 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 involved now, then when is the right moment?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this movement. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were preparing to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, working youth and retirees all were present. For an attendee, 68, from Queens, it was his first rally of the campaign. “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 Mitch, the key issues facing NYC right now are “safety, the trains being safe, and cost of living”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether the candidate can fulfill all his promises, he’s open-minded. “I don’t know who’s going to fund all this stuff he wants done … but I’m going in open-minded, and just wishing somebody is offering some alternatives.”

Brooklyn, 30, also from Astoria, said their main concerns were defending LGBTQ+ equality and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a great job of addressing everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his answers 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

Mamdani had a clear message he was aiming to communicate at the rally; inclusion 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 campaign. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to endorse Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause of the evening, tied with only Mamdani himself. Sanders spoke of the importance of voting for 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 Trump and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Ordinary people get a single ballot,” he said. “Meanwhile, billionaires get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the politicians they want. That is the context in which this election is occurring.”

The state's leader Kathy Hochul was the only speaker met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently breaking into chants to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, stand with her, as if to show the supporters the value of her appearance and endorsement.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, 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 hesitate at criticizing the former governor.

“Let our message resound that he can hear them tonight in his $8,000-a-month apartment,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so powerful that he can hear them even if he’s in Westchester tonight.”

But he did not focus excessively on Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to expressing gratitude to the coalition 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 anyone in the crowd who had volunteered and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The crowd immediately illuminated in a multitude of glowing screens, innumerable.

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