9/11 Families Tell Muslim Mayor to STAY AWAY

A widower who lost his wife on September 11 is asking New York City’s new mayor to stay away from the 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero.

Quick Take

Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace died in the attacks, started a petition asking Mayor Zohran Mamdani to skip the 25th anniversary ceremony.
The petition has drawn tens of thousands of signatures, with reported totals ranging from roughly 2,000 to more than 23,000 depending on the source and date.
Mamdani has said he plans to attend and will “proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders.”
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum says it works to keep the commemoration “free of politics,” a standard that now sits at the center of this fight.

A Widower’s Petition Gains Momentum

Giovanni Galante lost his wife, Grace Catherine Galante, on September 11, 2001. He started an online petition arguing that Mamdani’s public record and associations make him an inappropriate presence at this year’s 25th anniversary ceremony. The petition states that “the presence of individuals whose words or associations” raise concern should not stand at a memorial meant to honor victims and survivors.

The petition text goes further, saying “concerns have been raised about Mr. Mamdani’s public positions, associations, and responses to rhetoric that many perceive as hostile to these shared values.” It asks ceremony organizers to weigh whether Mamdani’s participation lines up with what the day is supposed to mean for grieving families. Signature counts climbed fast, with figures reported anywhere from a few thousand to well over twenty thousand across different outlets and dates.

Mamdani’s Response and Vow to Attend

Mamdani has not budged. Asked directly about the petition, he told reporters he intends to be there and will stand with the people the day is meant for. He said he will “proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders,” framing his attendance as an act of respect rather than defiance. The New York Post reported he appeared to brush off the families’ concerns during a recent interview, a characterization that has fueled more backlash from petition supporters.

That response answers the question of whether he will show up. It does not directly address the specific accusations in the petition about his past statements, associations, or reluctance to condemn certain rhetoric tied to the attacks. Petitioners and their supporters have noticed that gap, and it has become its own point of contention in the ongoing dispute between city hall and the families pushing back.

What the Memorial’s Own Rules Say

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which runs the annual ceremony, has staked out a clear institutional position. CBS News New York reported the museum said it has “intentionally worked to keep the commemoration free of politics,” adding that government officials attend “simply to bear witness” rather than to make political statements. That stance suggests the ceremony’s rules are not built around excluding any single elected official, no matter how controversial.

Still, no public document provided in this reporting spells out a formal process for barring a sitting mayor from attending. That leaves the museum’s neutrality pledge as more of a guiding principle than a hard rule. It also means the fight over Mamdani’s attendance is playing out in public opinion and petition drives rather than through any official appeals process at the memorial itself.

Why the Numbers and the Allegations Still Matter

Reported petition totals vary widely across outlets, from around 2,000 signatures early on to claims exceeding 23,000 in later coverage. That inconsistency does not erase the underlying sentiment. Thousands of New Yorkers, including many with direct personal losses from the attacks, have put their names behind a demand that carries real emotional weight on a day meant for mourning, not politics.

"I say good on them, I say draw a line in the sand."
Navy Intel Officer Jack Posobiec praised 9/11 families for calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be banned from the 25th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in American history on Monday's "National Report." pic.twitter.com/R6duQaZIeN

— NATIVE_AMERICAN_BITCH_FROM_THA_SLAPAHOE_TRIBE 𖧶🪓 (@TRUMPGIRL_STL) July 28, 2026

Commentators sympathetic to the families argue this is a common-sense line worth drawing. Families who buried loved ones twenty-five years ago should not have to share their grief with a mayor whose record they find troubling. That is not an unreasonable ask, and it deserves a direct, fact-by-fact answer from Mamdani rather than a general pledge to show up and stand alongside them.