Exclusive | Families of 9/11 victims want to ban Mamdani from sacred 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero: unwelcome guest
Families of 9/11 victims are demanding NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani be banned from the 25th anniversary of the attacks at Ground Zero, branding him an apologist for Islamic terror whose presence would be an insult to the memories of nearly 3,000 people murdered.“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,” said Giovanni Galante – whose 29-year-old wife Grace Catherine Galante was among 2,977 innocents killed by al-Qaeda terrorists.Galante, 55, is one of the organizers of a petition drive that has collected over 1,100 signatures in a little over a week, including from at least 300 victims’ families.“This day is sacred to us,” said the Brooklyn-born real estate agent who now lives in Florida. “It is not political, and it is not a platform for those connected to such views.His presence would be deeply hurtful and inappropriate — like an unwelcome guest at a deeply personal ceremony.”Galante and other petition organizers hope to gather enough signatures to convince local lawmakers and the ceremony’s organizers, the nonprofit 9/11 Memorial & Museum, to keep Mamdani away from the silver-anniversary ceremony planned for the former Twin Towers site in Lower Manhattan.The petition posted on Change.org cites an array of concerns about Mamdani, who is the city’s first Muslim mayor and has promoted his religion since taking office in January.
They include:“Given these concerns, we respectfully ask that the organizers carefully consider whether Mr.Mamdani’s participation would align with the intention of the ceremony and the expectations of the families most directly affected by the tragedy,” the petition says.“The 25th anniversary should remain centered on remembrance, unity, and an unambiguous rejection of the vi...