Overview
- On Friday the mayor signed two executive orders that establish Sept. 11 as a citywide Day of Remembrance and update the city’s emergency‑continuity and preparedness rules.
- Video from that City Hall signing showed Mamdani asking for the ceremonial pen to be passed to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who previously represented a convicted al‑Qaeda‑linked defendant and drew immediate criticism.
- Relatives of 9/11 victims organized a Change.org petition that has collected roughly 98,000 signatures and plan to hand the petition to City Hall on Sept. 8 while some families say they will turn their backs if Mamdani appears at the Ground Zero ceremony.
- Mamdani has confirmed he will attend Friday’s 25th‑anniversary memorial; city officials are installing fencing and checkpoints at the World Trade Center site and the vice president is expected to attend while the president will not.
- The dispute has split public figures and families, with some leaders urging Mamdani to stay away and others warning against Islamophobic attacks, a rift that could shape security, political messaging, and how families experience the anniversary.