One view treats the Sept. 11 ceremony as mourning owned by victims' families, who may object to an official; another treats it as a civic ceremony where elected leaders attend as witnesses

Marking twenty-five years since the attacks that killed 2,977 people, the ceremony has become contested. A petition led by a victim's widower asks organizers to bar Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who intends to attend and has designated the date a citywide day of remembrance and service.