Bruce Blakeman Urges 9/11 Memorial Attendees to Snub Mayor Mamdani

Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman urged attendees of the 25th anniversary September 11 memorial ceremony to turn their backs on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Blakeman argued that Mamdani is unwelcome because he has not condemned the phrase "globalize the intifada," which Blakeman linked to the ideologies behind the 2001 attacks.

The call for a silent protest follows a petition from relatives of 9/11 victims requesting that the National September 11 Memorial & Museum bar the mayor from the event. Blakeman compared the ceremony to a wake, suggesting that those who are not welcome should not attend.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated he still plans to attend the commemoration to honor survivors and first responders. A spokesperson for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum defended the event as non-partisan, noting that mayors and other government officials traditionally attend to bear witness without delivering formal remarks.