35,000 signatures collected to bar NYC Mayor Mamdani from 9/11 anniversary ceremony

A petition with over 35,000 signatures is urging organizers of the 25th anniversary ceremony of the September 11th terrorist attacks to disinvite New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The initiative, hosted on Change.org, was started by Giovanni Galante, who lost his wife in the North Tower. The petition is directed at the ceremony's organizers but is open for anyone to sign and comment.

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This anniversary is a moment of remembrance based on the shared American values: respect for the victims, recognition of the gravity of the attacks, and a clear rejection of the ideologies that contributed to such violence.

Galante's text asks organizers to consider if Mamdani's participation aligns with the ceremony's intent and the expectations of families most affected by the tragedy. It states that the anniversary is a moment of remembrance based on shared American values: respect for victims, acknowledgment of the attacks' severity, and a clear rejection of the ideologies that fueled the violence. The petition expresses concern that the mayor's public stance, which many perceive as "hostile," could deviate from the event's solemn purpose and cause additional pain.

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I will proudly honor the families, survivors, and first responders who were forever marked by that horrific terrorist attack, standing with them in commemoration of September 11th this year, reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day that all of us who call this city our home, and frankly, all of us who call this country our home, felt.

Despite the petition, Mayor Mamdani has indicated his intention to attend the event. "I will proudly honor the families, survivors, and first responders who were forever marked by that horrific terrorist attack, standing with them in commemoration of September 11th this year, reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day that all of us who call this city our home, and frankly, all of us who call this country our home, felt," Mamdani told CBS.

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For the families of the 9/11 victims, this is not simply a public act, but a deeply personal day of mourning. The presence of individuals whose words or affiliations are perceived as contradictory to the solemn purpose of the event risks diverting attention from that objective and causing additional pain.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum stated that government officials from across the political spectrum have participated in the ceremony in the past, serving as witnesses rather than speakers. Dennis McKeon, an organizer for a 9/11 survivors group in Staten Island, does not oppose the mayor's participation, noting that for 25 years, mayors and governors who did not assist victims' families were never prohibited from attending.

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government officials from across the political spectrum have participated in the ceremony and do not give speeches, they only witness the commemoration.