Mamdani to Attend 9/11 Memorial Despite 100,000-Plus Petition

The controversy has placed New York’s first Muslim mayor at the center of an unusually heated political dispute surrounding one of the city’s most solemn annual events. Mamdani has rejected calls for him to withdraw, saying the anniversary should focus on the victims, their families and the first responders who responded to the attacks.

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s official schedule lists Friday’s ceremony as a private event beginning at 8:40 a.m. on the Memorial plaza.

Petition Surpasses 100,000 Signatures

The petition was launched by relatives of people killed in the 9/11 attacks and initially attracted several thousand signatures in August. By Sept. 8, it had passed 100,000, according to Forbes and other reports. Families involved in the campaign subsequently delivered the petition to City Hall.

The organizers say they object to Mamdani’s attendance because of his political positions, associations and past responses to controversial rhetoric.

One issue cited by opponents is Mamdani’s appointment of Ramzi Kassem as his chief counsel. Critics have also pointed to Mamdani’s past political associations and positions on issues including Israel and Palestine.

However, the petition should not be interpreted as meaning that more than 100,000 9/11 family members have asked Mamdani to stay away. The signatures include supporters beyond victims’ relatives, while the campaign was initiated by people who lost loved ones in the attacks.

Mamdani Refuses to Back Down

Mamdani has made clear that he intends to attend the ceremony.

He has said his focus will be on honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks, the survivors and the first responders who risked their lives at the World Trade Center.

Rather than treating the controversy as a reason to withdraw, Mamdani has emphasized his responsibility as New York’s mayor to represent the entire city.

His administration has also taken several steps to commemorate the anniversary.

Earlier this month, Mamdani signed an executive order formally establishing September 11 as New York City’s “Day of Remembrance and Service.” The order calls for moments of silence, memorial programs, educational activities and opportunities for community service.

The order specifically recognizes the victims, first responders, survivors and families whose lives were permanently changed by the attacks.

Giuliani Joins the Opposition

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has become one of the most prominent political figures calling for Mamdani to skip the ceremony.

Giuliani, who was mayor when the attacks occurred, said Mamdani’s participation offended him and publicly questioned whether the Muslim mayor should attend.

His remarks drew criticism of their own, particularly because they connected Mamdani’s Muslim faith to the ideology of the 9/11 attackers without evidence that Mamdani supports such extremism. The New York Times described Giuliani’s comments as part of an anti-Muslim tirade.

Former New York Gov. George Pataki has also said Mamdani should not attend, arguing that the mayor should distance himself more clearly from controversial figures and rhetoric associated with the political left.

The Memorial Ceremony Is Intended to Be Nonpartisan

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum has historically sought to keep the commemoration focused on remembrance rather than political debate.

The organization previously said that government officials from across the political spectrum have attended the ceremony simply to bear witness. Politicians do not deliver speeches at the memorial ceremony and are assigned to a designated area.

That tradition is particularly significant this year, when all four living former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden — are expected to participate in anniversary events. Vice President JD Vance is representing the Trump administration in New York, while President Donald Trump is scheduled to mark the anniversary at the Pentagon.

Mamdani Has Already Been Honoring 9/11 Victims

The mayor has not waited until Sept. 11 to participate in remembrance events.

Mamdani has attended ceremonies honoring firefighters, police officers and other first responders who died on 9/11 or later from illnesses connected to their rescue and recovery work.

On Sept. 9, he also joined NYPD officials at One Police Plaza for the unveiling of a new 9/11 memorial, where he paid tribute to officers and other New Yorkers killed in the attacks and their aftermath.

His administration has also emphasized the continuing health and public-safety consequences of the attacks, rather than treating the anniversary solely as a historical event.

Security Will Be Exceptionally Tight

The 25th anniversary ceremony is expected to involve an unusually large security operation.

The NYPD said Friday’s deployment around Ground Zero will be larger than in previous years because of the significance of the anniversary and the number of dignitaries expected to attend. Police will work with the Secret Service and other federal, state and local agencies.

Officials said there are no known specific or credible threats against New York at this time, but the area around Ground Zero will face extensive security restrictions. The ceremony itself is not open to the general public.

The NYPD said fencing, screening checkpoints, counterterrorism teams and counter-drone resources will be deployed around Lower Manhattan.

A Memorial Caught in a Political Fight

The dispute over Mamdani's attendance illustrates how deeply political divisions continue to surround the 25th anniversary of September 11.

For the families leading the petition, the ceremony is a deeply personal occasion and they argue that their wishes should take precedence over political considerations.

For Mamdani and his supporters, excluding a sitting New York mayor would itself politicize a ceremony that is supposed to represent the entire city.

There is also a broader debate over what it means for a Muslim New Yorker to stand at Ground Zero 25 years after an attack carried out by Islamist extremists.

Mamdani was a child in New York when the attacks occurred. He has described September 11 as a formative experience and has repeatedly said that remembering those killed is a responsibility shared by all New Yorkers.

Mamdani Will Be at Ground Zero

The facts are therefore more nuanced than the viral graphic suggests.

Yes, more than 100,000 people have signed a petition calling for Mamdani to stay away. Yes, some 9/11 family members are among those demanding that he not attend. And yes, prominent figures including Giuliani and Pataki have publicly opposed his presence.

But there is no indication that Mamdani intends to withdraw.

Instead, he is preparing to stand at Ground Zero alongside victims’ families, survivors, first responders and other invited officials as New York marks 25 years since the attacks.

The ceremony is officially intended to remember those who were lost.

Yet this year, the question of who should be allowed to stand there and represent New York has become a story of its own.