John McDevitt asks Zohran Mamdani to skip Ground Zero on 9/11
John McDevittPresident of the Port Authority Retired Police Association
McDevitt asked Mamdani not to attend on behalf of retired Port Authority police officers.
“We believe your presence at Ground Zero ... would cause deep pain.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should Zohran Mamdani attend New York City’s 9/11 memorial?
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Gov. George Pataki, and some relatives of September 11 victims said Mayor Zohran Mamdani should not attend the 2026 commemoration, citing concerns about his rhetoric and associations. Mamdani said he would attend to honor victims, families, survivors, and first responders. Other elected officials and September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows said excluding the sitting mayor would politicize a ceremony meant for collective remembrance. The dispute is over the civic meaning and appropriateness of attendance, not over whether Mamdani has endorsed the September 11 attacks. Mamdani attended the 25th-anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero on September 11, 2026, shaking hands with Giuliani beforehand, and no protest took place. The argument over whether he should have been there continued after the ceremony, and the case remains open to record it.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Quotes letters from Port Authority Retired Police Association president John McDevitt and reports Michael LaRosa's warning that Mamdani would become a distraction.
Before the quotation
The association wrote separately to Mamdani and Hochul ahead of the anniversary.
After the quotation
McDevitt suggested a written statement, public message, or separate event instead.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The association's letter explicitly opposed attendance and proposed alternative forms of remembrance.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Zohran Mamdani
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- John McDevitt asks Zohran Mamdani to skip Ground Zero on 9/11
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The Dispute Index. "John McDevitt asks Zohran Mamdani to skip Ground Zero on 9/11". First published: 2026-09-10. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/221-mcdevitt-asked-mamdani-not-to-attend-on-behalf