Fact Check: Did a court order Rama Duwaji to stay away from 9/11 ceremonies?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Ahead of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the devastating September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, a rumor is circulating on social media platforms claiming that a court in Manhattan has ordered Rama Duwaji to stay away from the 9/11 ceremonies. The claim has sparked questions about its authenticity, prompting a fact-check.

Claim: Court ordered Rama Duwaji to stay away from 9/11 ceremonies

According to a viral X post, Manhattan Superior Court has ordered New York City's First Lady to stay clear of 9/11 ceremonies after her office released plans to stage a ‘pro-Palestine’ protest at Ground Zero.

The alleged order was in response to the petition by the 9/11 Memorial Foundation and New York City Councilman Joseph Barron, who purportedly called the alleged plan ‘bad taste’ and a ‘slap’ in the face of New Yorkers.

The post further claims that Duwaji’s office has clarified that she is still moving ahead with the protest, but a few feet away, and a massive counter-protest is expected.

The post has garnered almost a hundred thousand views as of this writing, with comments suggesting that many believe the claim to be true.

Fact Check: No credible evidence to support the claim

However, there is no evidence that a court ordered Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s wife to stay clear of the 9/11 ceremonies, nor are there any reports of the city’s First Lady planning a protest at Ground Zero. Hence, the claim is rated as false. 

Although the families of 9/11 victims have signed a petition urging Mamdani to stay away from the ceremony, there are no reports of a petition against his wife attending the ceremony.

Also, there is no such court called Manhattan Superior Court, nor is there a person called New York City Councilman Joseph Barron.

Zohran Mamdani vows to attend 9/11 ceremony despite backlash

The claim surfaced after the families of 9/11 victims last month sought to bar Mamdani from the city's 25th anniversary commemoration ceremonies next month.

When a reporter asked him about the backlash, Mamdani said, “I wonder how you feel about the fact that they’re trying to keep you away.”

"I will proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders, forever impacted by that horrific attack by standing alongside them at this year's 9/11 commemoration, reaffirming that we will never forget the solemn day felt by all of us who call this city home and, frankly, by all of us who call this country home," Mamdani said, vowing to attend the ceremony.