Fact Check: Did Mamdani charge a man with hate crime for cleaning graffiti off 9/11 memorial?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: According to a viral rumor circulating on social media platforms, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has charged a man with a hate crime for cleaning graffiti off the 9/11 Memorial. The claim has sparked concern and criticism online, with many skeptical and calling for a fact-check of the viral rumor.
Claim: Zohran Mamdani charged a man with a hate crime
The rumor appeared as an X post, which claimed that Mamdani charged a man with hate crime for cleaning graffiti off the 9/11 Memorial.
The post was accompanied by a link to an article alleging authorities detained a janitor who removed red graffiti from New York's 9/11 Memorial and charged him with a hate crime at the direction of the mayor.
Mamdani’s office reportedly issued a statement stating, “Removing speech, especially speech from someone with Latinx heritage, is a hate crime. Our commitment to free speech for people of color is absolute, especially when it's graffiti over the names of 9/11 victims.”
The post has garnered almost a hundred thousand views as of this writing, with many slamming the mayor, while others questioned its authenticity and called for a fact check.
Fact Check: The claim was intended as satire
However, the claim is false, as there are no reports of a person charged with a hate crime for cleaning graffiti off the 9/11 Memorial.
Mamdani’s office has issued no statement explaining that the person was charged following the direction of the mayor.
No official statements, announcements, or press conferences by Mamdani, the police, or any courts support the claim.
A search on Google for the claim yielded no credible news media reports, which, if true, would have made headlines, triggering nationwide backlash against the Social Democrat.
Moreover, the claim was intended as a parody and was posted by a satire account called ‘The Babylon Bee,’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘fake news.’
Zohran Mamdani attends 9/11 ceremony despite backlash
Before this year’s 9/11 anniversary, there was a growing campaign by the families of 9/11 victims seeking to bar him from the city's 25th anniversary commemoration ceremonies.
However, Mamdani attended the event anyway, which was also attended by Vice President JD Vance and all four former Presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.
