Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a contentious battle has emerged in New York over who should participate in the central memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. The Twin Towers once stood here. An organization representing retired Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) officers is demanding that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York State Governor Kathy Hochul stay away from the upcoming event. According to the group, policy positions and recent decisions by both officials have deeply hurt segments of the 9/11 community, warning that their presence could overshadow the memory of the victims and their grieving families.
Leading the demand is John McDevitt, president of the Retired Port Authority Police Association. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages critical regional transit infrastructure, was directly responsible for the original World Trade Center complex. On August 14, McDevitt sent formal letters to both Mamdani and Hochul asking them to refrain from attending the September 11 ceremony.
In his letter to Mamdani, McDevitt stressed that for officers and bereaved families, the anniversary must remain unblemished by politics: “For us, September 11 is not a political event, a photo op, or a platform for elected officials. It is a day of remembrance for those who were murdered, those who rushed to help, those who survived, and the families who have carried this profound loss for twenty-five years.”
Direct Losses and Rising Tensions
The association’s connection to the tragedy remains deeply personal: 37 Port Authority police officers were killed in the 2001 attack alongside 47 additional Port Authority civilian employees. “Thirty-seven of our brothers and sisters made the ultimate sacrifice,” McDevitt wrote. “Their sacred memorial must not become a flashpoint for political controversy.”
The retired officers argue that Mamdani’s past rhetoric, political ties, and public positions have caused “deep concerns,” stating they stand at odds with the values the ceremony represents. “We believe that your presence at Ground Zero on the 25th anniversary will cause profound grief to many members of the 9/11 community,” McDevitt wrote to Mamdani, warning that the Mayor’s appearance would detract attention from the victims. The association urged the mayor to instead mark the day via a written statement or a separate public event: “This is our day to remember. Please allow us to remember in peace.”
Mamdani has confirmed he plans to attend, asserting he intends to pay respects to the victims’ families, survivors, and the first responders whose lives were irrevocably altered. Opposition to his attendance continues to mount, with over 95,000 people signing an online petition started by Giovanni Galante—whose wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was murdered in the attacks—demanding event organizers bar the mayor from the ceremony.
Outrage Over One World Trade Center Lighting
The retired officers have simultaneously directed their ire at Governor Kathy Hochul, criticizing her decision to illuminate One World Trade Center in celebration of Muslim American Heritage Month. While emphasizing that the association does not oppose celebrating Muslim heritage itself, members expressed anger over using the specific spire erected on the World Trade Center ashes. “We believe political pandering played a part in a decision that showed such disregard for the meaning of this sacred site,” McDevitt asserted, adding that Hochul had forfeited the right to stand alongside the association at Ground Zero.
Hochul firmly rejected the call to stay away, confirming she will attend. The governor’s office stated that Hochul holds “enormous respect for all families who lost loved ones on September 11” and will “stand proudly alongside them at this year’s ceremony.” Her office defended the heritage month lighting, emphasizing that Muslim New Yorkers served bravely as first responders in the aftermath of the attacks: “The governor knows we can honor these families while making clear that Islamophobia has no place in New York.”
Nearly 3,000 people were murdered on September 11, 2001, when Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, slamming two into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon, and crashing the fourth into a Pennsylvania field following a heroic passenger revolt. We expect the 25th anniversary to draw global attention. While official guidelines from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum allow elected officials to attend without delivering political speeches, the growing rift highlights the raw emotional sensitivities surrounding New York’s top leadership at Ground Zero.