Families of 9/11 victims are urging organizers of the 25th-anniversary Ground Zero memorial to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending, saying his presence would dishonor the dead.
Their campaign has taken the form of an online petition that has drawn tens of thousands of signatures in recent weeks, including support from hundreds of relatives of people killed in the attacks.
The petition asks the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and city officials to “carefully consider” whether Mamdani’s participation aligns with the ceremony’s focus on remembrance, unity, and rejecting extremism, citing concerns about his public positions and associations.
Organizers and family members describe the anniversary at Ground Zero as a “sacred” and deeply personal event, not a political platform, and say the mayor would be an “unwelcome guest” at a ceremony meant to honor nearly 3,000 dead.
Petition founder Giovanni Galante, whose wife was killed on 9/11, has called Mamdani’s presence “a slap in the face” and argued that someone who has associated with figures who suggest America “deserved” the attacks should not attend.
The petition cites Mamdani’s past refusal to clearly denounce slogans such as “globalize the intifada,” his praise for Brooklyn imam Siraj Wahhaj, and his ties to commentator Hasan Piker, whose remarks about 9/11 have drawn backlash.
Commenters on the petition, including first responders who were on the scene on September 11, say allowing Mamdani to attend would insult the memories of fallen firefighters and other victims.
Mayor Mamdani has responded to the call for him to stay away, stating that he will “proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted … by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration.”
Mamdani described the day as a “solemn” one felt by everyone who calls New York City and the United States home, and his office has stated that he intends to attend the memorial despite the petition demanding he stay away.
