A group representing retired Port Authority police officers is calling on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul to stay away from the 25th anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero, arguing that their presence would be hurtful to families of the victims, survivors and the first responders who lived through the attacks.
John McDevitt, president of the Port Authority Retired Police Association, made the appeal in separate Aug. 14 letters to the two Democratic leaders, urging them not to attend the Sept. 11 remembrance at the World Trade Center site, where the deadliest terrorist attack in American history unfolded.
In his letter to Mamdani, McDevitt stressed that the anniversary is viewed by the 9/11 community as a day of mourning and reflection — not a political event, media moment or stage for elected officials. He wrote that the ceremony exists to honor those killed, those who rushed toward danger, those who survived and the families who have spent a quarter-century carrying the weight of that loss.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attends a news conference at the headquarters of the New York Police Department in New York City on Jan. 6. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The retired officers emphasized the Port Authority’s personal connection to Ground Zero, describing the World Trade Center as “our home.” The association noted that 37 Port Authority police officers, along with 47 other members of the broader Port Authority community, were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
McDevitt said those 37 officers “made the ultimate sacrifice,” and argued that a memorial dedicated to their lives and service should not be pulled into a political dispute or public controversy.
The association cited what it called serious concerns about Mamdani’s past public comments, political relationships and policy positions, saying members believe those views do not align with the legacy of the 9/11 victims or the law enforcement officers who died in service that day.
McDevitt warned that Mamdani’s appearance at Ground Zero for the milestone anniversary could cause “deep pain” within the 9/11 community and risk drawing attention away from the victims, survivors, families and first responders the annual New York City remembrance ceremony is meant to honor.
Names of victims are read during the commemoration ceremony on the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City. (AP/Yuki Iwamura)
McDevitt suggested Mamdani could instead recognize the anniversary through a written statement, public message or a separate event.
“This is our day to remember,” he wrote. “Please allow us to remember in peace.”
The association struck a similarly blistering tone in its letter to Hochul, taking issue with her decision to illuminate One World Trade Center for Muslim American Heritage Month.
The retired officers said they did not object to Hochul’s proclamation itself, but to the decision to use the World Trade Center and Ground Zero for the observance.
“We believe that political pandering played a role in a decision that showed such disregard for the significance of this sacred site,” McDevitt wrote.
The association called the decision “insensitive, tone-deaf, and an affront” to those who served at the World Trade Center, victims’ families, survivors and first responders.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul speaks at a press conference in Manhattan in New York City, Feb. 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
“Because of that decision, we believe that you have forfeited your right to stand alongside us at Ground Zero on the 25th anniversary,” McDevitt wrote to Hochul.
Hochul’s office pushed back on the retired officers’ demand in a statement to News Outlet, saying the governor “has enormous respect for all the families who lost loved ones on 9/11” and will “proudly stand alongside them at this year’s commemoration.”
The spokesperson added that Muslim New Yorkers “served as first responders and helped unite the city in the aftermath of 9/11,” and said, “The Governor knows we can respect these families while being clear that Islamophobia has no place in New York.”
Mamdani previously said he plans to attend the commemoration and “proudly honor” the families, survivors and first responders forever affected by the terror attack.
The retired officers’ demand comes as a petition asking organizers to bar Mamdani from the ceremony has drawn more than 95,000 signatures.
The petition was launched in July by Giovanni Galante, whose wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was killed in the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Speaking as the husband of Grace Catherine Galante, we are taking measures to shield our loved ones by barring anyone who opposes our way of life from the ceremony,” Galante wrote on the petition page.
Former Jill Biden spokesman Michael LaRosa, who also served as a special assistant to former President Joe Biden, signed the petition and warned that Mamdani’s presence would be a “lightning rod” that diverts attention from victims and their loved ones.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum previously told News Outlet that it keeps the annual commemoration free of politics. Government officials who attend do not deliver remarks and are asked to remain in a designated area, a spokesperson said.
News Outlet has reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.
