Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls 9/11 attacks ‘horrific act of terror’, attends Ground Zero ceremony despite petition to ban | Today’s news
Mayor Zohran Mamdani paid a moving tribute to those who lost their lives and were affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He shared a video message on social media and called the attacks a “terrible act of terror”.
Zohran Mamdani on the victims of 9/11
“9/11 was a terrible act of terror. A day of immeasurable loss. 2,753 parents and children, husbands and wives, friends and colleagues. 2,753 universes gone in an instant,” Mamdani, 34, said as he sat outside at a table with the Manhattan skyline in the background.
The mayor of New York said in the video: “And in the years that followed, thousands more died from illnesses caused by the toxic air they breathed during the months they spent working on the pile.
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the 9/11 attacks “a terrible act of terror” and expressed the immeasurable loss he suffered that day. He shared a memorial video highlighting the lives lost and the ongoing effects of the attacks.
Mayor Mamdani highlighted the bravery of New Yorkers who donated blood, opened their homes to others and helped colleagues during the crisis, saying these actions demonstrated community spirit in the face of darkness.
The 25th anniversary was marked by a ceremony at Ground Zero where survivors, mourners and politicians gathered. Family members read the names of the 2,983 victims and moments of silence were observed at specific times related to the attacks.
The petition, which garnered thousands of signatures, sought to bar Mayor Mamdani from attending due to concerns about his public record and association with individuals who allegedly minimized the significance of the 9/11 attacks.
Mamdani referred to the tragic loss of 2,753 individuals, highlighting the profound impact on families, including parents, children and friends, as well as subsequent deaths from illnesses related to the toxic air at Ground Zero.
How New Yorkers reacted on the darkest day
Mamdani called 9/11 the “darkest day” in New York history, adding, “We also remember what so many New Yorkers did in that darkness.”
“We remember the thousands and thousands of New Yorkers who stood in line for hours to donate blood. We remember the people who opened their homes to those who couldn’t get home,” he continued.
“We remember workers carrying their colleagues up hundreds of stairs, then turning around and going back up to find someone else who needed help.”
“25 years later, we have a sacred duty to those who were stolen from us. To care for each other as they cared for strangers,” the politician also said.
“To live lives worthy of the sacrifices they made and build a city worthy of their courage. A city where we run to each other. That’s how we remember,” he concluded.
Read also | Condoleezza Rice expresses regret over the failure to prevent the 9/11 attacks
Ground Zero Ceremony
On this day, mourners, survivors and fellow citizens gathered around the two waterfall pools that mark the footprints of the twin towers in Lower Manhattan on a somber day.
They were joined by several politicians on Memorial Day, including Vice President JD Vance, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and former mayors Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg. Former US presidents including Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton were also in attendance.
Read also | Obama pays tribute to lives lost, lessons from 25th anniversary of 9/11
Family members continued the tradition by reading the names of the 2,983 people who were killed on that tragic day, as well as in the World Trade Center bombing on February 26, 1993.
Beginning at 8:46 a.m., six moments of silence were held at the times each of the towers was hit, each fell, the Pentagon was attacked, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.
Viral petition against Mamdani
Mamdani attended the event despite the viral petition. According to many American media, a petition with thousands of signatures appeared, the aim of which was to ban him from the ceremony.
One of the petition’s organizers, Giovanni Galante, previously told the New York Post: “Our objection is based on his public record — his failure to meaningfully acknowledge the horror of that day and his employment, support or association with individuals who minimized 9/11, defended terrorists or even suggested that America ‘deserved’ the attacks.”
