Early reports indicate that New Yorkers have handed Bernie Sanders a victory, whether or not he earns more votes than Hillary Clinton. For insurgent, democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, a strong showing means that voters have rejected calls for him to ‘tone it down’ and continue to support the campaign for real democracy in the United States.

This inspiring result is — in part — the legacy of Occupy Wall Street. Not only indirectly, as a result of ‘starting a conversation about inequality’ but in practical terms as well.

The political space for a candidate to oppose Hillary Clinton was opened up by Ready for Warren, an effort started by veterans of Occupy Wall Street.

People for Bernie, also started by veterans of Occupy Wall Street, held the first public event in support of his candidacy in Brooklyn (May 9, 2015). It was the first of over 150 events organized around the country before the official campaign had an events tool. The people from those events formed the backbone of volunteer run efforts across the country.

In coordination with social media assets run by Occupy Wall Street activists, People for Bernie generated more than 2.5 billion engagements online, and help lead a successful turn from protesting to building electoral power among many of the Occupy generation.

Young organizers with Millennials for Bernie organized a series of marches in New York (and elsewhere!) that brought thousands of new voters together in a mix of protest and art never seen before in a primary race.

More recently, media activists from Occupy launched ‘The Battle of New York’, a print publication distributed across the state to help mobilize the revolutionary left, which in the past has often stayed out of Presidential primaries.

Tonight’s results demonstrate that corporate and establishment Democrats have a great deal to be nervous about. Young people — of all races — are feeling the bern and embracing political activism on their own terms.

Grassroots, volunteer campaign operations have been vastly more numerous and productive than those which emerged under the direction of campaign staff, which only arrived in the state in the last few weeks.

Dozens of new entities now exist, across the entire state, which are likely to continue to support Bernie efforts in other states and maintain a public profile beyond that. They will be active in down ballot races and in the transformation of the Democratic Party electorate.

Building on the success of Zephyr Teachout’s historic campaign against Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the grassroots is demonstrating youth, diversity, vitality, organization, skills, and mastery of all the tools of modern campaigns. Most significantly, the core of these emerging forces owe little either to the official campaign infrastructure or to legacy progressive brand names, most of whom have little or no grassroots members acting independently. In that sense, the shakeup we are seeing is richer and deeper than what is being reported.

We can also say that the elevation of racial justice during this campaign, sparked by interventions from Black Lives Matter activists and others, has strengthened our unity and commitment to fight together, no matter the difficulties.

Finally, we recognize the amazing contribution of labor unions that have supported Bernie Sanders in New York (NNU, NYSNA, TWU100, ATU, CWA). They performed heroically. But significantly, they were joined by organized efforts of union members from unions that endorsed Clinton. This is unprecedented, and strengthens the hands of democratic reformers in many union locals.

Congratulations to the volunteers, campaign staff, and surrogates who helped make tonight’s victory possible. But in particular, we congratulate the mostly unknown and anonymous activists who endured cold weather, beatings, tear gas, and widespread ridicule to Occupy Zuccotti Party in September 2011, and who continue to occupy ballot boxes across the nation. Another world is possible — and we are bringing it on the wings of Bernie’s political revolution. Look for us — in the next primary states, and in Philadelphia during the DNC.