Families of victims killed in the September 11 attacks are calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be excluded from the 25th anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, launching a petition that has now gathered more than 5,000 signatures ahead of the September 11, 2026 ceremony.
The petition was organised by Giovanni Galante — a Florida-based real estate agent whose wife Grace Catherine Galante was killed in the attacks — and Cheri Sparacio, whose husband Thomas also died at the World Trade Center. It describes Mamdani as an “unwelcome guest” and urges the nonprofit 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which oversees the annual ceremony, to reconsider his inclusion.
“This day is sacred to us. It is not political, and it is not a platform for those connected to such views,” Galante told the New York Post.
What the Petition Says
The petition states that the anniversary is “one of remembrance grounded in 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.”
Organisers cited a range of specific concerns about Mamdani’s public record, including his reluctance to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” his praise for Brooklyn imam Siraj Wahhaj, and his appointment of Ramzi Kassem as the city’s chief counsel — a lawyer who previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, who pleaded guilty before a US military commission to involvement in an al-Qaeda plot to bomb an oil tanker.
The petition also pointed to a college group Mamdani co-founded that invited a radical speaker who later said the US “made its bed” with the 9/11 attacks, and his past social media posts discussing radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.
The Museum’s Response
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum pushed back against the idea of excluding elected officials on political grounds. Spokesperson Julie Wood said the organisation has “intentionally worked to keep the commemoration free of politics because remembering those we lost on 9/11 should never be a partisan issue.”
Wood noted that every sitting president, governor, and mayor has attended the annual ceremony since 2001, with elected officials present simply to bear witness rather than deliver remarks.
Mamdani Plans to Attend
Despite the growing pressure, Mamdani’s office confirmed the mayor intends to be present at the ceremony to honour the families, survivors, and first responders affected by the attacks.
Mamdani, who became New York’s first Muslim mayor in January 2026, has faced repeated criticism from Jewish community leaders and political opponents over his handling of antisemitism and his public statements on the Middle East conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called out the mayor during his Fox News interview on Sunday, accusing him of celebrating the October 7 massacre — claims Mamdani has denied.
The dispute also comes as Netanyahu prepares to visit New York for the United Nations General Assembly later this year. Mamdani has previously stated he would seek Netanyahu’s arrest should the Israeli Prime Minister set foot in the city, citing the International Criminal Court warrant issued against him — a pledge that has drawn fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.
With September 11 now weeks away, pressure on the 9/11 Memorial & Museum to take a public position is expected to intensify as the petition continues to grow.
For the latest news, visit M10News.com.
