Overview

• Mike Weinstein, cousin of fallen FDNY firefighter Stephen Belson, told attendees that officials who refuse to condemn the slogan are “inviting another 9/11.”
• His remarks, delivered during the Lower Manhattan ceremony, drew applause and were widely interpreted as a veiled reference to Mamdani.
• Mamdani says the phrase is not language he uses and recently said he would discourage it after discussions with Jewish leaders.
• Earlier comments framed the slogan as an expression of Palestinian rights, a stance that prompted a public rebuke from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
• Rival campaigns pressed the issue, with an Andrew Cuomo spokesperson saying New Yorkers deserve answers and Curtis Sliwa urging unity against extremism.