New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are facing backlash after being filmed laughing during a moment of silence at the 9/11 anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero. The incident, which occurred Friday morning in lower Manhattan, was captured on video and quickly circulated on social media, with many viewers calling their behavior disrespectful to the victims and their families.
During the solemn commemoration, while loved ones were reading the names of those who died in the 2001 attacks, Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez were observed laughing. Mourners stood in silence around them.
The pair's reaction has been widely criticized online, with social media users describing it as "a slap in the face" to the victims. The footage intensified scrutiny on Mayor Mamdani, who had proceeded with attending the ceremony despite prior calls from some 9/11 victim groups for him to stay away. A petition urging him to boycott the event garnered over 100,000 signatures, and former New York Governor George Pataki had also publicly urged Mamdani not to attend.
Mamdani had previously stated his intention to attend, saying he wanted "the focus to be on the families whose loved ones were stolen from them 25 years ago in the horrific act of terror of September 11th."
The mayor's presence at the ceremony also led to an awkward encounter with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had joined the chorus of those asking Mamdani to avoid the event. Giuliani had stated that Mamdani's presence "offends" him and claimed it was "disturbing the people who are the most important people at that celebration."
This exchange followed Mamdani's release of hundreds of thousands of previously unreleased records. These documents reportedly indicate that Giuliani's administration was aware of the toxic dangers posed by the city's air quality in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino had also voiced opposition to Mamdani's attendance, suggesting his presence would send an inappropriate message.
Earlier in the week, Mamdani drew criticism for handing a ceremonial pen from a 9/11 remembrance event to an attorney who had previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member. The attorney's brother was among the hijackers involved in the attacks.
