New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced his intention to attend the 25th-anniversary ceremony of the September 11th terror attacks at Ground Zero. This plan has prompted criticism from some families of victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, as Mamdani missed their memorial service earlier this year.
Mamdani was not present at the February 26th ceremony marking 33 years since the 1993 bombing, which killed six people and injured over a thousand. Instead, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Donald Trump to discuss a proposed affordable housing project for Queens. Mamdani's office stated the meeting was "productive," though the White House has not commented.
Andrew Colabella, whose cousin John DiGiovanni was killed in the 1993 attack, expressed anger over the mayor's absence, stating, "He blew us off and passed on it because he does not give a s–t." Colabella and other family members suggested Mamdani's attendance at the 1993 memorial would have been overshadowed by a lack of media coverage, unlike his more public visits to Ground Zero, such as greeting King Charles III.
Colabella also accused Mamdani of prioritizing his political future and associating with individuals who have defended Islamic terror, citing a Brooklyn imam who was an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 bombing and a social media influencer who reportedly made statements critical of the 9/11 attacks. A petition with over 79,000 signatures is reportedly demanding Mamdani skip the upcoming 9/11 tribute.
Edward Smith, whose wife Monica Rodriguez Smith was seven months pregnant when she died in the 1993 bombing, stated that Mamdani's absence from their memorial was a "huge favor." Smith plans to attend the 9/11 ceremony and does not support the petition to bar Mamdani, preferring that those who oppose his presence express their disapproval directly.
In Mamdani's stead, Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson attended the February memorial service. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Dan Flynn, and City Council Speaker Julie Menin were also reportedly in attendance, according to Eyewitness News ABC-7.
Most New York City mayors since the 1993 bombing, including Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, and Eric Adams, have participated in past memorial ceremonies, either in person or by sending a deputy. Mamdani's office has not responded to requests for comment regarding his attendance plans or the criticism he has received.