(The Center Square) – Nearly 80,000 people have signed an online petition calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be barred from attending events next month marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Relatives of Sept. 11 victims recently launched a petition urging the National September 11 Memorial & Museum not to permit Mamdani to attend the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks planned for the former Twin Towers site in Lower Manhattan. More than 77,000 people have signed the change.org petition since it was posted online last month.
"For 9/11 families, this is not simply a public ceremony – it is a deeply personal day of mourning," a summary of the petition states. "The presence of individuals whose words or associations are perceived as conflicting with the solemn purpose of the event risks detracting from that focus and causing additional pain."
"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 states.
Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, has been criticized by Jewish groups over his alignment with pro-Palestinian groups, criticism of the Israeli government, and his use of the phrase "globalize the intifada," which has been linked to acts of violence against Jewish people and acts of terrorism.
Several other similar online petitions have popped up in recent weeks, each calling on event organizers to block the mayor from participating in the ceremony.
Despite the criticism, Mamdani has said he still plans to attend the ceremony and stand alongside families and survivors during the 25th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more.
"I will proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year's 9/11 commemoration – reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day," the mayor said in remark last week.
Michael LaRosa, a former spokesman for First Lady Jill Biden and special assistant to President Joe Biden, was among those who signed the petition. He said the 9/11 anniversary needs to be "free of politics."
"Mayor Mamdani's presence at Ground Zero will be a lightning rod that diverts attention away from the only people that morning belongs to: the victim's of this heinous attack and their loved ones," he said in a statement. "The Mayor and the organizers should do the right thing, keep the focus on the families, and keep the politics out."
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