9/11 Families Push to Block NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani From Memorial Ceremony

Hundreds of relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks are waging a public campaign aimed at preventing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending the main ceremony marking 25 years since the terror attacks. According to the families, Mamdani’s participation does not fit the character of the event, which is meant to honor the memory of nearly 3,000 people who were murdered, and could cause pain to bereaved families.

The protest is being led by Giovanni Galante, whose wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was murdered in the attacks. He said the opposition to Mamdani is not rooted in politics, but in his public record and statements over the years: "Our opposition is based on his statements and public actions, on the fact that he did not meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day, and on his ties to people who, in our view, minimized the severity of 9/11, defended terrorists, or even claimed that the U.S. 'deserved' the attack."

He said the memorial ceremony carries unique meaning for family members and should not become a stage for public controversy: "This is not a political event and not a platform for people identified with those kinds of views. His presence would be offensive and inappropriate, like an unwanted guest at a very personal ceremony."

The petition launched by Galante and other family members gathered more than 1,100 signatures in just over a week, including at least 300 from relatives of attack victims. The organizers hope that the broad support will persuade the leadership of the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, which is responsible for the ceremony, as well as local lawmakers, not to allow Mamdani to participate. They also said they plan to approach the New York City Council in an effort to build support for their demand.

The petition itself lays out a series of claims against the mayor. Among other things, it alleges that he refused to condemn the call for the "globalization of the intifada," maintained ties with Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was linked to the investigation into the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and appointed Ramzi Kassem as the city’s chief legal adviser, even though Kassem represented, among others, an al-Qaeda operative and additional figures.

It also claims that Mamdani supported political candidates who in the past made controversial statements about the September 11 attacks or expressed support for people convicted of planning attacks. In addition, according to the petition, he previously defended preacher Anwar al-Awlaki and blamed the U.S. for turning him into a terrorist, in remarks published in 2015 that resurfaced last year. The organizers also note that Mamdani’s father had previously expressed sympathy for suicide bombers.

Sherry Sparacio, whose husband Thomas was killed in the attacks, said there are "many more examples" that, in her view, show why Mamdani’s participation would be disrespectful, "but it was not possible to include all of them in the petition." Among other things, she pointed to his long-running ties with influencer Hasan Piker, who previously said that "America deserved" the September 11 attacks, as well as Mamdani’s own remarks that Muslims were also victims of the attacks because they led to a wave of Islamophobia.

In response to the protest, a spokesperson for the 9/11 Museum and Memorial said the organization has consistently worked over the years to keep the commemoration ceremonies outside of political disputes. According to the spokesperson, since the attacks, every ceremony has included the sitting presidents, governors, and mayors, but they do not deliver remarks and are asked to remain in a designated area during the event.

Despite the calls to prevent his participation, Mamdani’s spokesperson announced that the mayor intends to attend the ceremony as planned. According to the spokesperson, Mamdani "will attend in order to honor the families, survivors, and first responders whose lives were changed forever by the devastating attacks, and to stand with them at the ceremony while underscoring the commitment not to forget the painful day the entire city endured."

Over the years, Mamdani has referred to the September 11 attacks on several occasions. He published statements marking the anniversaries of the attacks in which he noted the memory of the victims and first responders, and later said that a relative of his stopped riding the subway after the attacks because she did not feel safe while wearing a hijab.

In a 2020 campaign video, Mamdani said that he, too, experienced discrimination and suspicion after the attacks because he is Muslim. According to him, a teacher warned him and another student that they might face harassment, and during airport security screening he was even asked whether he had attended terrorist training camps.