Relatives of people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks said they will ignore New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani if he attends this year's memorial ceremony at Ground Zero. They told the New York Post they would rather turn their backs than engage with him on the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

A Change.org petition urging that Mamdani stay away has drawn more than 98,000 signatures. Organizers plan to hand-deliver it to City Hall on Sept. 8 during a news conference.

Giovanni Galante, whose wife Grace Catherine Galante was killed in the attacks, organized the petition. He said no one intends to block the mayor or argue with him. "No one's going to be there saying, 'You can't come in,'" Galante said. "I know he likes to come in your face and try to say hello and shake your hand, but I would definitely ignore him."

Angie Pesce, whose brother Danny Pesce died in the North Tower, predicted the mayor would attend anyway. "He'll show up to be spiteful," she said. Maureen Santora, whose son Christopher, a firefighter, was killed in the South Tower, agreed that Mamdani is not welcome but expects him to appear despite the objections.

Mamdani has vowed to attend the ceremony and honor the families, survivors and first responders. The petition cites his past remarks and associations with figures who have minimized the attacks or defended terrorists.

The ceremony marks the deaths of 2,977 people. Families emphasized that the day belongs to those who lost loved ones and should remain free of political division.