9/11 Families Demand Mamdani Skip 25th Anniversary Ceremony

A grassroots petition calling for Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip this year’s 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero has surged past 62,000 signatures in less than three weeks, as families of victims and first responders voice alarm over the mayor’s presence at the 25th anniversary commemoration.

The escalating backlash stems from Mamdani’s controversial past statements and his close ties to individuals openly hostile to the United States, according to Rich Calder, Chris Nesi, Larry Celona, and Carl Campanile writing in New York Post. Despite mounting pressure, the mayor has dismissed the criticism and insists he will attend the solemn event.

The Change.org petition cites multiple grounds for excluding Mamdani, notably his extended refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada” and his association with chief counsel Ramzi Kassem, who previously provided legal representation to an al-Qaeda operative involved in a tanker bombing.

This anniversary is one of remembrance grounded in shared American values, the petition states, emphasizing respect for victims and clear rejection of terrorist ideologies.

9/11 Families Lead the Charge

Petition organizer Giovanni Galante, whose 29-year-old wife Grace perished in the attacks, estimates that thousands of family members of the 2,977 innocent victims killed on September 11, 2001, have signed the petition. He warned that if Mamdani appears at the ceremony, many relatives plan to turn their backs in protest.

Angie Pesce of Staten Island, whose 34-year-old brother Danny was among 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees killed in the Twin Towers, confirmed the petition’s rapid spread beyond immediate family members to friends and wider circles.

Charles G. Wolf, whose 40-year-old wife Katherine was killed just two weeks into her position at Marsh & McLennan, accused the Ugandan-born socialist mayor of pushing an anti-American agenda. Wolf pointed to Mamdani’s association with left-wing influencer Hasan Piker, who once claimed America deserved the September 11 attacks. Wolf’s own fight for victim compensation was dramatized in the 2020 Netflix film “Worth,” with Emmy-winner Stanley Tucci portraying him.

First Responders Join Opposition

The petition has circulated widely within the Fire Department of New York, which lost 343 firefighters that day. Tom Van Essen, who served as city fire commissioner during and after 9/11, signed enthusiastically.

John Ryan, a retired Port Authority chief of department who directed the rescue operation for nine months following the attack, also signed. Ryan questioned Mamdani’s commitment, noting the mayor’s absence from previous anniversary ceremonies while emphasizing that actions matter more than words.

Not all first responders endorsed the petition, though some expressed discomfort with the mayor’s attendance. Retired NYPD officer Jim Smith, whose wife Moira Smith was one of two female police officers who died on 9/11, declined to sign but suggested that anyone serving as a distraction should honorably stay away.

Widespread Support Among Victim Families

Reporters contacted more than 150 families affected by the attacks in recent days. While a handful disagreed with the petition, dozens of relatives confirmed their support but declined public identification, citing fears of reprisal, particularly those holding city employment.

The overwhelming majority of family members contacted said they either signed the petition or intend to do so. Critics of the petition have accused organizers and media outlets of overstating opposition to the mayor’s attendance, but the documented testimonies tell a different story.

The 25th anniversary commemoration represents a particularly significant milestone, making the mayor’s planned presence all the more contentious for those who lost loved ones in America’s deadliest terror attack.

With information from New York Post