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Zohran Mamdani’s rally on Sunday nearly filled Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, which holds 13,000 attendees. Here’s why some of them went, in their own words.
By Sarah Chatta
Visuals by Natalie Keyssar
Oct. 28, 2025Updated 2:19 p.m. ET
They nearly filled the 13,000-seat Forest Hills Stadium in Queens — mostly New Yorkers, but also visitors from as far away as Portugal — not for a concert, but for a political happening.
The “New York City Is Not for Sale” rally on Sunday evening featured national progressive superstars like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. But the main attraction was the city’s 34-year-old democratic socialist mayoral hopeful, Zohran Mamdani.
The size of the rally dwarfed anything seen in recent New York City mayoral races, and seemed more befitting a popular presidential candidate.
Mr. Mamdani’s campaign has emphasized affordability, and that message is clearly resonating in one of the world’s most expensive cities. Interviews, however, suggest that New Yorkers may be drawn to him for broader reasons. They are frustrated with the political system, including Democratic Party leaders, and the sense that many institutions are not working for them. For the first time in a long time, many of his supporters said, they felt hopeful.
Mr. Mamdani’s appeal to New Yorkers was on full display at the rally. Attendees came from neighborhoods as disparate as Ocean Hill, Canarsie, Jamaica, Park Slope, Ridgewood and the Upper West Side. They represented different races and religions. Those who spoke with The New York Times ranged in age from 18 to 72. Many had never participated in a political rally before. Here are some of the attendees.
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“It’s an exciting time to try to build coalitions and try to make change moving forward. We feel like it’s the beginning of a movement.”
Mohamed Abrar, 20, left, with Sufyan Billel, 20
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“I came out here because of what is going on in the American system with the Republicans, and we need to fight to get back our country.”
Merlyn Juman, 72
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“My concern is not with him [Mr. Mamdani]; it’s with the people who oppose him, and how we’re going to deal with that: the real estate lobby and banks and those folks.”
Avram Barlowe, 70
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“We 18- to 35-year-olds are statistically not very politically engaged. I think his campaign has been a great example of organizing outside the institutions that we’re all fed up with.”
Christina Brown, 29, left, with Nygel D. Robinson, 32
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“This is the first time in a long time that it feels positive, and not just collectively rage.”
Rae Boyadjis, 35
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“We’ve been living in New York, it’s the greatest city in the world, but still we had no representation.”
Ali Rashid, 38, center, with Usman Shafiq, 39, left, and Hashim Malik, 30
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“I’m so tired of Eric Adams. He did not do anything. I bike everywhere. ... He had a plan to build, like, 250 miles of bike lanes, and he didn’t do anything.”
Mariyam Sherazi, 18
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“It’s the first time I want to vote for someone rather than against someone.”
Cameron Avvampato, 25
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“People should have the right to stay here and educate themselves. I don’t want my rights stripped of me. I see it every day — my mother is 75, she’s on EBT, SNAP — I’m very afraid of those things getting taken away from her.”
KP Pimentel, 30, left, with Valeria Martinez, 24
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“I’m looking for a city that is more affordable for all New Yorkers and is a more just, humane and civil place.”
Surekha Rao, 68
Credit...Natalie Keyssar for The New York Times
“I feel inspired that so much of the city, and different parts of the city, have stood behind him.”
Callie Farnsworth, 35
