9/11 Families Speak Out: Over 100,000 Demand Mayor Mamdani Stay Away from 25th Anniversary Ceremony

A coalition of 9/11 victims' families, first responders, and elected officials gathered at City Hall on Tuesday to deliver a blunt message to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani: stay away from Friday's 25th anniversary memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. A petition with more than 101,000 signatures was hand-delivered to the mayor's office, as grieving relatives pleaded for the solemn day to remain focused on the victims — not politics .

NEW YORK – The 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks has become the backdrop for an emotional and politically charged showdown. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the annual memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center, and on Tuesday, a group of victims' relatives delivered that message directly to his office .

Organized by Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace was killed in the attacks, the petition has garnered over 102,000 signatures . The families stress that their opposition has nothing to do with Mamdani's Muslim faith — but rather his policies, political associations, and key appointments .

'It's Not About His Religion or Where He Came From'

At a press conference on the steps of City Hall, grieving relatives took turns explaining why they believe Mamdani should not attend the private, somber ceremony.

Cheri Sparacio, who lost her husband Tom on the 84th floor of the South Tower, was emphatic: "It's not about his religion or where he came from. It's about the policies he has today" .

She pointed specifically to Mamdani's hiring of Ramzi Kassem as the city's chief legal counsel. Kassem previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member held at Guantánamo Bay — a man whose brother-in-law was among the 9/11 hijackers who struck the Pentagon . "That is what we object to," Sparacio said .

Charles Wolf, who lost his wife Katherine in the attacks, accused the mayor of self-interest: "This mayor is not serving us. He's serving himself. We are asking respectfully that he not show up" . Wolf noted that other politicians attending the ceremony had "helped us push beneficial laws through and literally held our hand during that time. Mayor Mamdani has not shown any of that, none of it" .

Monica Iken, whose husband Michael was killed on the 84th floor of the South Tower, urged the mayor to respect the families' wishes: "He didn't go to the 20th… so I don't know why he's so adamant about going to this one when we just ask that he just respect us from 7 to 11 and let us have our mourning" .

Jeannette Pick, who was only 9 years old when her father Joseph died on the 94th floor of the South Tower, delivered a simple message to the mayor: "Dude, don't come" .

Bipartisan Opposition: Giuliani and Pataki Join the Call

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who led New York City during the 2001 attacks, has been among the most vocal critics of Mamdani's planned attendance.

"Having lost friends there and being very close to many of the families, it offends me that he's going," Giuliani told Newsmax . He also made remarks linking Mamdani's Muslim faith to the ideology of the 9/11 attackers — comments that Governor Kathy Hochul later condemned as "wildly inappropriate" .

Former Governor George Pataki has also said Mamdani should not attend . Republican Council Members Vickie Paladino and Joann Ariola joined the families at City Hall. Paladino was direct: "I am demanding that he not show his face at that sacred ground. He does not belong there" .

Ariola accused the mayor of trying to "deflect" from the families' concerns with performative announcements, including a recent release of thousands of 9/11-related documents .

'We Really Want Us to Be Left Alone'

Giovanni Galante, the petition organizer, said the families want the 25th anniversary to remain centered on the victims and survivors — not become a media circus.

"The purpose of the 25th anniversary is for victims and survivors to come together and pray, not have a circus around us" . "We really want us to be left alone," he added .

Some families have already decided how they will respond if Mamdani attends. Angie Pesce, whose brother Danny was killed in the North Tower, predicted the mayor would show up "to be spiteful" . Maureen Santora, whose firefighter son Christopher died in the South Tower, told the New York Post: "I just hope that he doesn't say a single word because most of us will be very upset" .

Jeanette Puccio-Pick told the Post she plans to simply ignore him: "If the mayor shows up, that's his prerogative. I'm there to honor my father" .

Mamdani Defiant: 'I Will Proudly Honor the Families'

Despite the mounting criticism, Mamdani has remained firm in his decision to attend.

"I'm proud to be the mayor of this city. I love this city. I love this country," Mamdani told reporters over the weekend . "What I want this week to be a focus on is on the families whose loved ones were stolen from them 25 years ago in the horrific act of terror of September 11th, and a focus also on the first responders who gave everything they could to this city" .

Last week, he signed two executive orders — one establishing Sept. 11 as an annual "Citywide Day of Remembrance and Service" and another modernizing the city's emergency preparedness. Critics noted that Kassem was present when the orders were signed, a detail that drew additional criticism .

Mamdani is expected to become the first Muslim mayor to attend the city's official 9/11 remembrance ceremony, though nearly every New York City mayor before him has participated .

A Divided Community

The controversy has exposed deep divisions within the 9/11 community. While many families have signed the petition urging Mamdani to stay away, others have called for unity.

Liz Miller, whose firefighter father was killed on 9/11, told CNN she is frustrated the ceremony has become caught up in partisan politics: "There's so many of us that there's never going to be a unanimous thought amongst the community, which I think is a gift. But I do think that it is 25 years later, it is time that there is some unity" .

A separate group, September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows — which has received funding from George Soros's Open Society Foundation — has accused the petition organizers of Islamophobic sentiment . Galante has rejected that claim, telling the New York Post: "This has nothing to do with Islam or Mamdani being Muslim. It has to do with who he associates with and who he represents" .

Friday's ceremony at Ground Zero will include the reading of victims' names. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are expected to attend, along with Vice President JD Vance . Whether Mamdani will be met with silent protest from grieving families — or embraced by those who support his right to attend — remains to be seen.

For now, the message from more than 100,000 petitioners and dozens of families is clear: "Mayor Mamdani, please do not come" .