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Just over a seven days before New York City’s mayoral election on 4 November, approximately 13,000 attendees filled the Queens stadium for the “NYC Is Not For Sale” gathering, headlined by Congresswoman AOC, Senator Sanders and the Democratic mayoral candidate assemblyman Mamdani.

The historic open-air venue was filled to capacity. New Yorkers of diverse ages and origins assembled, but it was the younger generation that seemed to bring the excitement.

Many characterized the gathering as not merely a political event. It was a moment of unity, discontent and hope all at once. For Hayley Miller, 23, of Queens, the reason to attend was straightforward: “I’m here because the system is broken, 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.”

Crowd Energy and Sentiment

For Spencer, 29, who lives nearby in Forest Hills, the vibe of the event reflected something he hasn’t felt in city elections in a while. “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 involved now, then when is the time?”

Another local, a supporter, 29, shared a comparable excitement: “I think it’s inspiring to be a part of this energy. We even went out to vote earlier today because we were getting in the mindset to be psyched for everything that he’s for.”

The variety of the audience reflected the city itself. Longtime residents, 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 listen to 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 key issues 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 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 without prejudice, and just hoping somebody is offering some alternatives.”

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 excellent work of focusing on everything I’m worried by,” they said.

Nicole, 30, echoed that sentiment, praising Mamdani’s genuineness: “I feel like he is very genuine in his responses in a way that isn’t common in most politicians. He’s a little less empty rhetoric than usual.”

Rally Speeches and Moments

Mamdani had a distinct theme he was aiming to get across at the rally; diversity is NYC’s biggest strength. At one point, he had a rabbi, a reverend, and an Muslim cleric all on stage together in support of his campaign. The city’s comptroller, a former candidate in this election, also came out to support Mamdani.

Sanders received the loudest applause of the evening, matched by 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 the former president and the wealthy elites he has in his circle.

“Everyday citizens get a single ballot,” Sanders said. “Meanwhile, the ultra-rich get the chance to spend as much as they want to choose 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 “Tax the rich!” The candidate came out at the end of her speech to, quite literally, hold her hand, as if to demonstrate the audience the importance of her appearance and endorsement.

It was a big contrast to representative Ocasio-Cortez, who spoke just after the governor and was met with the audience chanting her name.

When it came time for the candidate to take the stage, the crowd had been more than sufficiently hyped. As with the mayoral debate days earlier, he did not hesitate at criticizing Andrew Cuomo.

“Let our words resound that he 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 Mamdani did not dwell too long on Cuomo, instead dedicating the second part of his speech to expressing gratitude to the alliance who had supported him 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 helped out and gone door-to-door for his campaign to turn on their lights. The arena immediately lit up in a sea of bright phone lights, too many to count.

“We are just getting started. On November 4 we set ourselves free,” Mamdani said in his final remarks.