NEW YORK — A petition organized by the husband of a woman killed in the September 11 attacks is calling for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from this year’s 25th-anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, creating a sharp public dispute just days before the ceremony.
Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace Catherine Galante worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and was killed at the World Trade Center, launched the petition asking organizers to reconsider Mamdani’s participation in the anniversary ceremony.
Galante has described the commemoration as a deeply personal day for families and argues that the mayor’s presence could detract from its purpose. In an Aug. 20 update, he urged supporters to continue sharing the petition and wrote that he wanted the mayor to “STAY AWAY” from the 25th-anniversary observance.
The petition itself raises objections to Mamdani based on political associations and actions that its organizers say conflict with what they believe the Sept. 11 ceremony should represent.
According to the petition, the families’ concern is not simply about political disagreement. It argues that Ground Zero on Sept. 11 should remain focused on remembrance, unity and rejection of the extremism responsible for the attacks.
The petition states that the presence of people whose statements or associations are viewed by participating families as inconsistent with that purpose could cause additional pain and distract from the memorial. Those assertions represent the views of the petition organizers and should not be treated as independently established conclusions.
The campaign had already gathered more than 83,000 signatures by Aug. 11 and nearly 89,000 by Aug. 20, according to updates posted directly by Galante. He also announced plans for a Sept. 8 press conference at New York City Hall.
The pushback comes as Mamdani prepares to preside over his first Sept. 11 anniversary as mayor.
On Sept. 4, Mamdani signed an executive order establishing September 11 as an annual Citywide Day of Remembrance and Service. The order directs the city to honor those killed in the attacks, first responders, survivors, families and those who later died from illnesses connected to the World Trade Center site.
At the signing ceremony, Mamdani said the city had an obligation to remember those lost and described the anniversary as a time for service and reflection. He also discussed meetings he had held with recovery workers, educators and firefighters affected by the attacks and their aftermath.
Those official actions have not erased the opposition represented by Galante’s petition.
Instead, the controversy highlights a larger question surrounding this year’s milestone anniversary: who should have a public role at Ground Zero, and how much weight should be given to objections raised by families directly affected by the attacks?
For Galante and the supporters of his petition, the answer is clear. They are asking organizers to keep the focus on the victims and families—and to reconsider Mamdani’s participation.
With the 25th anniversary approaching, that disagreement now places the mayor at the center of a commemoration that petition organizers argue should not be about elected officials at all.