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Just over a seven days before the NYC mayor's race on 4 November, approximately thirteen thousand attendees poured into the Queens stadium for the “NYC Not For Sale” event, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was packed to the rafters. City residents of all ages and backgrounds came together, but it was the youthful attendees that seemed to energize the event.

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

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

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

Another local, 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 getting in the mindset to be enthusiastic for everything that he’s for.”

The diversity of the audience reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, recent arrivals, working youth and retirees all were in attendance. For Mitch, 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 viable candidates, in my opinion,” he said.

Major Topics and Public Priorities

For Mitch, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s skeptical about whether Mamdani can fulfill all his pledges, 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 open-minded, and just hoping somebody is offering some options.”

Another attendee, 30, also from the neighborhood, said their main concerns were protecting LGBTQ rights and addressing the city’s affordability crisis. “I think the assemblyman is doing a excellent work of focusing on everything I’m concerned about,” they said.

A supporter, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising 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

Mamdani had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; inclusion is NYC’s greatest asset. 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 former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the biggest cheers of the evening, matched by only the mayoral candidate. Sanders spoke of the importance 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 make a statement to Trump and the billionaires he has in his circle.

“Ordinary people get one vote,” he said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to spend as much as they want to elect the candidates 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 divided reactions, with the crowd frequently interrupting her speech to enthusiastically chant “Increase taxes on the wealthy!” Mamdani came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to show the supporters the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a stark difference 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 audience had been more than adequately energized. As with the recent candidates' forum days earlier, he did not hold back at taking jabs Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our message ring so loud that Cuomo can hear them tonight in his expensive rental,” the mayoral hopeful said. “Let them be so loud that he can hear them even if he’s in the suburbs tonight.”

But he did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the alliance who had supported him for the past several months and contributed to his historic campaign.

Perhaps the most evocative moment came towards the end, when he asked anyone in the crowd who had helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to activate their phone flashes. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of glowing screens, too many to count.

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