9/11 families push to keep Mamdani away from Ground Zero 25th anniversary ceremony
As New York prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a growing group of victims’ relatives is asking organizers to keep one of the city’s highest-profile elected officials away from Ground Zero.
A petition launched by family members of those killed on September 11 urges organizers of the annual memorial ceremony to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending, arguing that his record and political associations make his presence inappropriate on what they describe as sacred ground.
One of the petition’s organizers, Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace Catherine Galante was killed in the attacks, said the objection is rooted in 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.”
Another organizer, Cheri Sparacio, whose husband Thomas died in the attacks, said there were so many concerns that not all could fit into the petition itself.
“There are so many other examples” of why his attendance would be “disrespectful.”
The petition points to several issues, including Mamdani’s past defense of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” his political associations, and appointments within his administration that critics argue are inconsistent with honoring victims of Islamist terrorism. Petition organizers contend those concerns make his attendance at the ceremony deeply offensive to many families.
A petition launched by family members of those killed on September 11 urges organizers of the annual memorial ceremony to bar New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending, arguing that his record and political associations make his presence inappropriate on what they describe as sacred ground.
One of the petition’s organizers, Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace Catherine Galante was killed in the attacks, said the objection is rooted in 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.”
Another organizer, Cheri Sparacio, whose husband Thomas died in the attacks, said there were so many concerns that not all could fit into the petition itself.
“There are so many other examples” of why his attendance would be “disrespectful.”
The petition points to several issues, including Mamdani’s past defense of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” his political associations, and appointments within his administration that critics argue are inconsistent with honoring victims of Islamist terrorism. Petition organizers contend those concerns make his attendance at the ceremony deeply offensive to many families.
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