NEW YORK (Diya TV) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani should attend Friday’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, responding to calls from some victims’ relatives and former political leaders for him to stay away.
“Division should not prevail over the spirit of unity that brought us together after September 11th,” Hochul wrote Tuesday on X. “The Mayor of New York City will be there, as he should be.”
Mamdani confirmed Sept. 7 that he plans to attend the annual remembrance ceremony at the World Trade Center site.
“I’m proud to be the mayor of this city. I love this city. I love this country,” Mamdani told reporters, adding that the anniversary should focus on victims’ families and first responders.
The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks killed 2,977 people in New York, at the Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Mamdani signed two executive orders Sept. 4 related to the anniversary. The first designates Sept. 11 each year as a citywide Day of Remembrance and Service and directs the city to observe moments of silence and promote volunteer activities.
The second updates New York City’s continuity-of-operations planning for the first time since 2007 and establishes an interagency team responsible for coordinating essential city services during emergencies.
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Gov. George Pataki are among those who have criticized Mamdani’s planned attendance. Some relatives of victims have also supported a petition urging him to stay away from the ceremony. The petition had collected more than 100,000 signatures by Tuesday.
Some criticism has focused on Mamdani’s appointment of city chief counsel Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented an al-Qaida member. Mamdani has said he will attend the ceremony and has declined to engage further with Giuliani’s criticism.
The annual Ground Zero ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 11.
