A petition bearing nearly 17,000 signatures is urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani to refrain from attending the upcoming 25th-anniversary events of the 9/11 attacks. Despite this significant opposition from the families of the victims, the mayor seemed to dismiss these concerns on Monday.
Mayor Mamdani faced questions about his intentions to participate in the commemorations for the nearly 3,000 lives lost during the September 11, 2001 attacks. The pressure to reconsider his attendance has been fueled by a growing petition on Change.org.
In response, Mamdani stated, “I will proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack, by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration — reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day felt by all of us who call this city home, and frankly, by all of us who call this country home.”
The petition was initiated by Giovianni Galante, who tragically lost his wife, Grace Catherine Galante, in the al-Qaeda attacks on the World Trade Center. According to reports, since its creation last week, this online appeal has gathered at least 16,889 signatures.
Galante expressed his concerns by highlighting several issues, including Mayor Mamdani’s hesitance to denounce the term “globalize the intifada” and his connections with individuals like Ramzi Kassem, the mayor’s chief counsel, who previously defended Ahmed al-Darbi, an al-Qaeda operative linked to a tanker bombing plot.
“This 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,” the petition reads.
First responder John Feal, who spent 11 weeks in the hospital as a result of the attacks, told The Post it was important that the families could peacefully grieve on the solemn 25th anniversary of losing their loved ones.
“If they’re gonna be upset by his presence, and that they’re not gonna get that day or a few hours to heal and to hear the loved one’s name without seeing his face, then I support that 100 %,” he said. “When you piss off and upset the 9/11 community, it’s a problem.”
Petitioners cited that many people feel Mamdani’s public positions and associations were “hostile” to their cause.
“Stay home, please. And ensure your wife does the same. That in itself would be a service to this city,” wrote one first responder by the name Debra with her sign-on to the appeal.
Another signee named Mark claimed he lost twelve friends in the attacks.
“The current NYC mayor has not earned the privilege of being in the company of such magnificent Americans. Stay away, Mamdani,” he wrote.