Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul are being urged by retired Port Authority police officers to stay away from Ground Zero during New York City’s 25th anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11 attacks. The officers say the officials’ attendance could cause additional pain for victims’ families, survivors and first responders. Mamdani has said he plans to attend, while Hochul’s office said she will stand with families at the ceremony.
The dispute comes amid a petition seeking to bar Mamdani from the event that has collected more than 95,000 signatures. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum has previously said the annual ceremony is kept free of politics, with attending officials asked not to speak and to remain in a designated area.
| 1) | Retired officers challenge planned attendance |
| 2) | Why the officers object to Mamdani’s presence |
| 3) | Criticism of Hochul’s World Trade Center decision |
| 4) | Petition adds pressure before the anniversary |
| 5) | Officials defend the commemoration’s purpose |
Retired officers challenge planned attendance
In separate letters dated Aug. 14, John McDevitt, president of the Port Authority Retired Police Association, asked Mamdani and Hochul not to attend the Sept. 11 ceremony at Ground Zero. The site is where the World Trade Center stood and where the city holds its annual remembrance for those killed, those who responded and those who survived the 2001 terrorist attacks.
The association represents retired Port Authority police officers and said the World Trade Center was their professional home. Thirty-seven Port Authority police officers and 47 other members of the Port Authority family died in the attacks, according to the letters.
Why the officers object to Mamdani’s presence
McDevitt said the ceremony should not be treated as a political occasion, photo opportunity or platform for public officials. The retired officers cited concerns about Mamdani’s public statements, political associations and positions, which they believe conflict with the sacrifices made by victims and law enforcement officers.
“It also risks shifting attention away from the people whose lives, courage, and sacrifice the ceremony exists to honor.”
The letter proposed that Mamdani recognize the anniversary through a written statement, public message or separate event instead. Mamdani has previously said he intends to attend and honor the families, survivors and first responders affected by the attacks.
Criticism of Hochul’s World Trade Center decision
The association’s letter to Hochul focused on the decision to illuminate One World Trade Center for Muslim American Heritage Month. The retired officers said they did not object to the proclamation itself, but argued that using the World Trade Center and Ground Zero for the observance disregarded the site’s significance.
McDevitt described the decision as insensitive and offensive to victims’ families, survivors, first responders and those who served at the World Trade Center. He wrote that the association believed Hochul had forfeited the right to stand alongside them at the 25th anniversary ceremony.
Petition adds pressure before the anniversary
The letters arrived as a petition demanding that organizers exclude Mamdani from the September ceremony surpassed 95,000 signatures. Giovanni Galante, whose wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was killed in the attacks, launched the petition in July.
Galante said the effort was intended to protect families from people who oppose their way of life. Michael LaRosa, a former presidential spokesman, also signed the petition and said Mamdani’s attendance could become a major distraction from victims and their loved ones.
Officials defend the commemoration’s purpose
Hochul’s office rejected the demand that she stay away, saying the governor has enormous respect for every family that lost someone on 9/11 and will attend the commemoration. Her spokesperson also said Muslim New Yorkers served as first responders and helped unite the city after the attacks, while emphasizing that respect for victims’ families can coexist with opposition to Islamophobia.
The memorial and museum has said government officials who attend do not deliver remarks and are asked to remain in a designated area. That policy is intended to preserve the ceremony as a remembrance centered on the dead, survivors and the people who responded.
| 1 | Retired Port Authority officers asked Mamdani and Hochul to skip the 25th anniversary ceremony. |
| 2 | The association cited the deaths of 37 Port Authority officers and 47 other members of its family. |
| 3 | A petition seeking to bar Mamdani has drawn more than 95,000 signatures. |
| 4 | Mamdani plans to attend, while Hochul’s office said she will participate. |
Summary
The dispute highlights continuing tensions over political participation at the 25th anniversary 9/11 commemoration. Retired officers want the ceremony focused exclusively on victims, survivors and first responders, while Hochul’s office maintains that honoring those groups is compatible with her attendance and broader messages about New York’s Muslim community. The memorial’s existing rules are intended to limit political activity during the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who asked Mamdani and Hochul to stay away?
The request came from retired Port Authority police officers, represented in letters by association president John McDevitt.
When is the ceremony scheduled?
The 25th anniversary commemoration is scheduled for Sept. 11, 2026, at Ground Zero in New York City.
Why are the retired officers objecting?
They said the officials’ attendance could cause pain for families and survivors and shift attention away from the people being honored.
What have the officials said?
Mamdani has said he plans to attend, and Hochul’s office said she will proudly stand with families while defending the inclusion of Muslim New Yorkers in the city’s post-9/11 history.
