Mayor Zohran Mamdani Defies 9/11 Families, Attends Memorial Despite Outrage
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the September 11 remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero, ignoring the wishes of victims' families and public figures who demanded he stay away due to his controversial associations and questionable appointments.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended Friday's September 11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero, sparking outrage among many victims' families and former officials who had explicitly asked him not to attend. A petition, signed by more than 110,000 people—including families of those murdered in the attacks—called for the mayor to stay away, citing his troubling connections to radical online personalities and his appointment of Ramzi Kassem, a lawyer who previously defended a Guantánamo detainee linked to an al Qaeda plot against America.
Former New York Republican Governor George Pataki and former FDNY Commissioner Thomas von Essen were among the respected voices urging Mamdani to respect the wishes of the families and skip the ceremony. Walter Matuza, whose father was killed in the North Tower, called the mayor's appearance “disrespectful” and “offensive.” A former New Jersey police officer, Mike, pointed to Mamdani’s history of divisive rhetoric as making his presence at the memorial highly inappropriate.
While a few attendees, such as John, argued that Mamdani had the right to be present if he showed proper respect, the overwhelming sentiment among families and first responders was one of disappointment and anger. Mamdani, attempting to deflect criticism, claimed his focus was on the families and first responders, but his actions spoke otherwise.
During the ceremony, Mamdani was seen greeting former mayor Rudolph Giuliani before Giuliani took his seat. All living former U.S. presidents attended the event, while President Donald Trump paid his respects at a separate Pentagon remembrance before fulfilling his duties abroad.