Mayor Mamdani signs 9/11 orders and hands symbolic pen to aide with al-Qaeda ties

In a ceremony marking the upcoming 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed two executive orders: one establishing a Day of Remembrance and another tightening city security measures. Following the signing, he instructed Police Commissioner Jessica Tish to hand the ceremonial pen to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who slipped into the press conference shortly before it ended. Kassem, a lawyer who has defended al-Qaeda operative Ahmed al-Darbi and other high-profile clients, received the pen with a visible smirk.

The gesture provoked anger from victims' families, including a firefighter whose brother died in the North Tower, and sparked criticism on social media. Critics argued the presence of a former al-Qaeda defense attorney undermined the solemnity of the event.