Retired Port Authority Officers Urge Mamdani, Hochul to Skip 25th 9/11 Ceremony

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 30

Aug. 14 letters from the Port Authority Retired Police Association asked Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul not to attend Ground Zero’s Sept. 11 25th-anniversary commemoration, saying their presence would cause “deep pain.”
McDevitt said the objection centers on Mamdani’s public statements and political associations, and on Hochul’s decision to light One World Trade Center for Muslim American Heritage Month, which the group called disrespectful to the site.
The retired officers said 37 Port Authority police officers and 47 other Port Authority members were killed in the 2001 attacks, arguing the memorial should not become a political controversy or photo opportunity.
Hochul’s office rejected the demand and said she will “proudly” attend, while Mamdani has also said he plans to attend and honor families, survivors and first responders.
Pressure on Mamdani has widened beyond the letters: a petition launched in July by 9/11 widower Giovanni Galante has drawn more than 95,000 signatures seeking to bar him from the ceremony.