New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani will attend the 25th anniversary 9/11 memorial at Ground Zero on Friday, despite a petition demanding his absence. He says the focus should be on the families of victims and on first responders who gave everything.
Petition Demands Mamdani Skip Memorial
A petition launched by 9/11 families, now bearing roughly 110,000 signatures, urges Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay home on Friday. The petition cites Mamdani’s appointment of Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented al Qaeda operative Ahmed al-Darbi, as the reason for the demand.
Mayor Mamdani will attend the invitation-only ceremony at 8:30 a.m., an event that will also feature Vice President JD Vance and former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Critics argue his presence could detract from the solemn purpose of the commemoration and cause additional pain to families. They say his record on related issues further inflames tensions.
The controversy intensified after Mamdani handed a ceremonial pen used to sign 9/11 executive orders to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who then passed it to Kassem, a move social media described as a slap in the face to victims’ families.
Mamdani defended his attendance, stating he wants the week to focus on the families of those lost and on first responders who gave everything.
Former mayor Rudy Giuliani and former governor George Pataki have also urged Mamdani to stay away, saying his presence offends them.
The mayor later called Hasan Piker’s remarks about America deserving 9/11 “objectionable and reprehensible,” though he has not disavowed the streamer, and says he will discourage the phrase “globalize the intifada.”
The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
