NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called for "moral clarity" on Wednesday, emphasizing the distinction between terrorists and heroes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Her remarks were made alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani as they unveiled a new 9/11 Memorial Wall at One Police Plaza.
The new wall adds 469 names of NYPD members who have died from illnesses related to their exposure to toxins at the World Trade Center site. Tisch stated that preserving the history of the attacks also means preserving "its moral clarity."
"The men who attacked this city were terrorists. The men and women who ran into the towers to save innocent lives were heroes," Tisch said. "Twenty-five years cannot be allowed to blur that distinction and shame on those who do."
While Tisch did not identify specific individuals, her comments come amid renewed scrutiny of online personality Hasan Piker, who previously stated that "America deserved 9/11." Piker later clarified his remarks, explaining that he was referring to the unintended consequences of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Mamdani stood with Tisch during her remarks. The mayor and commissioner later participated in a briefing on security preparations for the upcoming anniversary on Friday.