A group of 9/11 families is drawing a red line ahead of this year’s 25th anniversary ceremony, saying New York City’s Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has no place at the Ground Zero ceremony.
The group has labeled Mamdani an “unwelcome guest” and argues that his past associations and public record make his presence an insult to the nearly 3,000 people murdered that day.
Giovanni Galante, whose 29-year-old wife Grace Catherine Galante was among the 2,977 innocents killed by al-Qaeda terrorists, spoke to the New York Post in an exclusive interview to voice his concerns.
“Our objection is based on his public record—his failure to meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day, and his employment of, support for, or association with individuals who have minimized 9/11, defended terrorists, or even suggested America ‘deserved’ the attacks,” Galante explained.
Families of 9/11 victims want to ban Mamdani from sacred 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero: 'unwelcome guest' https://t.co/u1Qu3eUxGQ pic.twitter.com/BxNKkbU4QQ
— New York Post (@nypost) July 25, 2026
READ MORE: Terror-Sympathizing ‘Journalist’ Caught Cozying Up With Mamdani As Mayor Plots to Arrest Bibi
Hot Takes: Furious Jewish New Yorkers Hammer Mamdani’s Tisha B’Av Post After Netanyahu Rant
A petition launched by the families has already gathered more than 2,100 verified signatures in just over a week, with at least 300 of them coming from relatives of those killed on 9/11. You can read the petition here.
Families behind the effort say they’re alarmed by Mayor Mamdani’s track record and the people he associates with—especially his failure to clearly condemn “globalize the intifada” and the praise he’s given Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
It also points to Mamdani blaming the United States for radicalizing al-Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki, his appointment of a chief counsel who previously defended an al-Qaeda terrorist, and his endorsement of candidates who have minimized 9/11.
Petition seeking to bar Muslim Mayor Zohran Mamdani from the 25th anniversary ceremony commemorating 9/11.
— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) July 25, 2026
Please sign to support honoring the memory of those lost on September 11th with dignity. - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/V9ioI3TMaB via @Change
"It is a solemn occasion—one that members of this unfortunate group, along with millions of others, continue to honor, remember, and use to say: never again," the petition, organized by Galante, reads.
"It is in this spirit that we, the family members of those murdered on 9/11, write to express our concern regarding the potential inclusion of Zohran Mamdani in the 25th-year commemorative events."
Organizers hope the growing support will pressure the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and local officials to keep Mayor Mamdani away from the ceremony.
Mamdani recently found himself in hot water when a man yelling “Allahu Akbar” stabbed two people on the Upper West Side, including a "visibly Jewish" victim, in an attack police charged as a hate crime.
Jewish leaders and elected officials quickly accused the mayor of fanning the flames of violence through his recent harsh rhetoric against Israel, which included fantasies of arresting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/YRezmW6YVx
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 22, 2026
The UJA Federation New York issued a statement calling out the mayor: "We cannot ignore the dangerous climate created when elected leaders relentlessly portray Israel ... as uniquely evil and illegitimate."
While campaigning for his current role, Mamdani often discussed the aftermath of 9/11 around the experiences of Muslims, including his aunt, whom he claimed stopped taking the subway because she felt unsafe wearing a hijab.
New York City, ground zero for the September 11th attacks, clearly forgot by electing this man to lead them. The families who were affected can never forget.
"For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony—it is a deeply personal day of mourning," the petition reads. "The presence of individuals whose words or associations are perceived as conflicting with the solemn purpose of the event risks detracting from that focus and causing additional pain."
Twenty-five years later, the people who paid the highest price are still being forced to fight for the dignity of that day. Mamdani's presence would be an undignified disgrace. Which almost assuredly means he will be there.
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