A group of relatives of victims of the September 11 attacks has launched a petition urging New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend this year’s remembrance ceremony, opening a politically charged debate ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
The petition was initiated by Giovanni Galante, whose 29-year-old wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was killed while working on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. Galante told CBS News New York that he and another 9/11 widow organized the effort because they believe Mamdani’s presence would be disrespectful to some families.
The petition asks the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which organizes the annual ceremony in Lower Manhattan, to reconsider the mayor’s participation. It cites objections to Mamdani’s political positions and associations, which the petition’s organizers argue conflict with the spirit of the commemoration. Those assertions are the petitioners’ claims and have themselves become part of the political dispute surrounding the campaign.
The controversy comes as New York prepares to mark a particularly significant anniversary of the attacks. On September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93.
Mamdani, however, has indicated that he intends to attend the ceremony despite the petition. He has said his purpose is to honor the victims, survivors and first responders and to reaffirm New York City’s commitment to remembering the attacks.
The campaign does not represent a unified position among 9/11 families. Other relatives of victims have publicly defended Mamdani’s participation, arguing that the anniversary should remain focused on remembering those who died rather than political disagreements surrounding the mayor.
The annual ceremony traditionally places victims’ families at its center, including the reading of the names of those killed. Political figures attend the commemoration, but the event has historically sought to limit overt political activity and maintain its focus on remembrance.
The dispute therefore presents organizers with a sensitive challenge: respecting the deeply personal concerns expressed by some victims’ relatives while recognizing that other families do not share their objections.
As the 25th anniversary approaches, the controversy underscores how September 11 remains both a collective moment of national remembrance and an intensely personal day of mourning for thousands of families — making any political dispute surrounding the ceremony especially sensitive.
