Families of those killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have launched a petition calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be barred from the official 25th anniversary commemorative ceremony at Ground Zero, describing his potential presence as that of an “unwelcome guest.”
The effort, organized by relatives including Giovanni Galante whose wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was among the nearly 3,000 people killed centers on a Change.org petition directed at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and local officials. Organizers report the petition has gathered thousands of signatures, including hundreds from victims’ family members.
Galante told the New York Post that the objection rests on Mamdani’s public record. “Our objection is based on his public record — his failure to meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day, and his employment of, support for, or association with individuals who have minimized 9/11, defended terrorists, or even suggested America ‘deserved’ the attacks,” he said. “This day is sacred to us. It is not political, and it is not a platform for those connected to such views. His presence would be deeply hurtful and inappropriate like an unwelcome guest at a deeply personal ceremony.”
Cheri Sparacio, another organizer whose husband Thomas died in the attacks, argued that the anniversary “should remain centered on remembrance” and that Mamdani’s attendance would be disrespectful to many families.
Petitioners cite several specific concerns. These include what they describe as Mamdani’s reluctance to clearly condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” past associations or praise involving figures such as Brooklyn imam Siraj Wahhaj (named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing case), endorsement of political candidates who have characterized the 9/11 attacks in ways families view as minimizing them, and the appointment of a chief counsel who previously represented individuals convicted in al-Qaeda-related plots. The petition also references comments by Mamdani’s father in a book published after the attacks and the mayor’s own past remarks focusing on the experiences of Muslims in the aftermath of September 11.
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Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, has previously spoken publicly about growing up in the shadow of the attacks. In campaign remarks and other addresses, he has described personal and family experiences of suspicion and Islamophobia, including an aunt who stopped taking the subway while wearing a hijab and his own encounters with questioning at airports. Supporters of the mayor have framed such statements as highlighting real post-9/11 challenges faced by Muslim New Yorkers rather than diminishing the victims.
The mayor’s office has indicated that Mamdani intends to attend the annual event, which the National September 11 Memorial & Museum oversees. The 25th anniversary ceremony is scheduled for September 11, 2026, at the site of the former World Trade Center towers in Lower Manhattan. Petition organizers say they plan to continue pressing the museum, City Council members, and other officials in the coming weeks.
The campaign has drawn coverage across multiple outlets and reflects ongoing tensions over how elected officials engage with the memory of the attacks, particularly as New York marks a quarter-century since the deadliest terrorist incident on U.S. soil. Organizers emphasize that their goal is to keep the focus of the solemn day on the victims, first responders, and families rather than political figures whose records they find incompatible with the occasion.
