Disputes over who attends 9/11 ceremonies divide those who treat victims' families' feelings as decisive from those who see a civic ritual where elected officials attend as witnesses regardless of politics

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.