Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez draw fire for laughter at Ground Zero service
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were filmed laughing together at Friday's 25th anniversary memorial service for the 11 September attacks at Ground Zero, at the moment relatives were reading out victims' names. The footage, which spread rapidly on social media, drew criticism from onlookers who described the reaction as disrespectful towards grieving families, and follows a week of controversy over Mamdani's attendance at the ceremony.
Mamdani had faced pressure from 9/11 victims' groups, a petition with more than 100,000 signatures, and figures including former Governor George Pataki and ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani to stay away from the event, partly after he gave a ceremonial pen to a lawyer who had represented a convicted al-Qaeda member. Despite this, Mamdani chose to attend, saying he wanted attention focused on the victims' families, and was seen in an awkward exchange with Giuliani, with whom he has also clashed over the release of records on the city's post-9/11 air quality.
- Mamdani and AOC filmed laughing during 9/11 victims' names reading
- Mamdani had defied calls from victims' families and officials to skip event
- Row follows dispute over a pen and Giuliani air-quality records clash
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New York's Mayor Zohran Mamdani and US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are both progressive Democrats who have previously faced scrutiny over their positions on issues linked to 11 September, including national security policy and how the attacks' aftermath is remembered. Mamdani took office as mayor of New York City after a closely watched election, while Ocasio-Cortez represents a district in the city in Congress; both are prominent figures on the left of the Democratic Party and have drawn strong reactions, positive and negative, throughout their careers.
The Ground Zero memorial service is an annual ceremony held at the site of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, where relatives of those killed in the 2001 attacks read out victims' names. It is widely regarded as a solemn occasion for remembrance, attended each year by political leaders, survivors and bereaved families, and any perceived lapse in decorum there tends to attract significant public attention.
This year's event carried added significance as the 25th anniversary of the attacks, and Mamdani's presence had already become a point of contention beforehand due to separate controversies involving his past conduct and associations. The wider debate reflects ongoing tensions between Mamdani and more established political figures, including his predecessor's allies, over how his administration should engage with the city's post-9/11 legacy.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “AOC and Mamdani are seen LAUGHING together while names of dead 9/11 victims are read out”.