Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the 2026 Ground Zero ceremony despite calls to stay away, calling the anniversary a sacred obligation and pledging to focus on families and first responders

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.