Hundreds of bereaved families against Mamdani: "Prevent him from arriving at the September 11 ceremony"

Hundreds of family members of the victims of the September 11 attacks are demanding to prevent New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from participating in the ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which will be held at the central Ground Zero site. According to them, Mamdani's participation will harm the memory of the nearly 3,000 murdered and will be an insult to the bereaved families.

The protest is led by Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace Catherine Galante was murdered in the attacks. According to him, the opposition does not stem from political considerations but from Mamdani's public record:

"Our opposition is based on his statements and public activity, on the fact that he did not significantly acknowledge the horror of that day, and on his ties to people who we claim minimized the severity of the 9/11 events, defended terrorists, or even claimed that the United States 'deserved' the attack."

The petition initiated by Galante has gathered more than 1,100 signatures, including at least 300 from family members of victims. The organizers hope this will convince the management of the 9/11 Museum and Memorial not to allow Mamdani to participate. The petition details a series of allegations, including Mamdani's refusal to condemn calls for the "globalization of the Intifada," his ties to Imam Siraj Wahhaj, and his appointment of Ramzi Kassem—who represented an Al-Qaeda operative—as the city's chief legal counsel.

In response to the protest, a spokesperson for the 9/11 Museum and Memorial stated that the organization is careful to keep memorial ceremonies out of politics. Despite the calls, Mamdani's spokesperson announced that the mayor intends to arrive at the ceremony as planned to honor the families, survivors, and first responders.