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

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

Many described the event as a significant moment. It was a occasion of unity, discontent and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Briarwood, the motivation to attend was simple: “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 NYC is definitely the starting point.”

Audience Enthusiasm and Views

For Spencer, 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 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 involved 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 movement. We even went out to cast ballots earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the crowd mirrored the city itself. Longtime residents, newcomers, young professionals and older adults 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 the Astoria resident, the primary concerns facing NYC right now are “safety, the subway safety, and affordability”, adding that while he’s doubtful about whether the candidate 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 without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is proposing some options.”

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

Nicole, 30, expressed similar views, commending Mamdani’s authenticity: “I feel like Mamdani is very genuine in his answers in a way that isn’t common in most politicians. 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 rabbi, a Christian minister, and an imam all on stage together in backing his bid. Brad Lander, 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 importance of voting for 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 Trump and the wealthy elites he has in his orbit.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the opportunity to invest unlimited funds to choose the politicians they want. That is the context in which this race is occurring.”

New York governor the governor was the only presenter met with divided reactions, with the audience frequently interrupting her speech 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 show the audience the value of her appearance and backing.

It was a big contrast to Congresswoman AOC, who spoke just after Hochul and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for the candidate to speak, the crowd 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 words resound that Cuomo 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 Westchester tonight.”

But Mamdani did not focus excessively on his opponent, instead dedicating the latter half of his speech to thanking the coalition who had backed his campaign for the past several months and helped with his record-breaking campaign.

Perhaps the most memorable 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 turn on their lights. The crowd immediately illuminated in a multitude of bright phone lights, innumerable.

“Our work has only just begun. On November 4 we achieve liberation,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.