Families of 9/11 victims deliver 100,000-signature petition urging Mamdani to skip ceremony

Families of 9/11 victims delivered a petition with over 100,000 signatures to New York City Hall on Tuesday, urging Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend the upcoming 25th-anniversary ceremony of the attacks. Council member Joann Ariola stated that the petition was given to a staff member of Chief Counsel Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented an al-Qaeda terrorist. Ariola highlighted Kassem's past representation as a reason for the families' opposition to the mayor's attendance. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul disagreed with the petitioners, stating, "The mayor of New York City will be there, as he should be," and emphasized unity. Mayor Mamdani's office reaffirmed his intention to attend the ceremony, stating he would "stand alongside victims’ families, survivors and first responders."