Mamdani Vows to Attend Sept. 11 Ceremony as 100,000 Back Petition Against Him
Updated
Updated · WABC-TV · Sep 7
Mamdani Vows to Attend Sept. 11 Ceremony as 100,000 Back Petition Against Him
3 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · Sep 7
Summary
Zohran Mamdani said he will attend New York City's Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony Friday, rejecting calls from some victims' relatives and prominent Republicans to stay away.
Nearly 100,000 people have backed a petition opposing his attendance after he appointed Ramzi Kassem as chief legal counsel; critics cite Kassem's past defense of a convicted al Qaeda member.
Mamdani has framed the week around honoring families and first responders, and last week signed executive orders creating an annual Sept. 11 Day of Remembrance and updating emergency-preparedness procedures.
The dispute widened after Rudy Giuliani said he would be offended by Mamdani's presence and made claims critics called baseless and anti-Muslim.
Friday's ceremony at the World Trade Center will bring heightened security, with Vice President JD Vance expected to attend while President Trump will not.