New York commemorates 9/11 victims with reduced ceremony
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence at commemorations for the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2011 attacks in New York City.
Amr Alfiky / Pool via REUTERS
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
The United States commemorates the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, with Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden at the Ground Zero Memorial site in the morning.
These ceremonies are, however, limited due to the Covid-19 epidemic, but that did not prevent New Yorkers from paying tribute to the victims of the attacks.
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With our correspondent in New York,
Loubna Anaki
It's 8:46 a.m.,
the exact time the first plane crashed into one of the Twin Towers
19 years ago.
With a funeral march and minutes of silence, the closed-to-public ceremony drew many New Yorkers to Ground Zero.
"
We can never forget,"
said an American.
It is something that will remain engraved in us forever
”.
“
It's like
the death [of President John F] Kennedy
, compares another.
We all remember where we were, we remember what we were doing, and it still hurts so much.
"
Always painful moments, especially for
those who have lost relatives
or fellow police officers or firefighters.
“
For all our brothers in arms who have fallen here, we come every year,” explains a man.
This moment reminds us all of very hard times.
It's hard, but we keep coming to honor them no matter what
.
"
“
We lost 29 members of our church
,” said another.
People have lost husbands, wives, fathers and mothers
: it is important not to forget
”.
This year, the ceremony was reduced to essentials due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Vice President Mike Pence and
Joe Biden
were present at Ground Zero.
President Donald Trump is in Pennsylvania, where another hijacked plane crashed on September 11, 2001.
Here, most hope that the commemorations will not be
politicized by the president
.
“
It's a special day that should belong to the people, families and firefighters and police
, opines a New Yorker.
Politics
has no place there
.
"
Following the commemorations, the 9/11 memorial will be open to the public for the first time since the start of the epidemic.
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United States
September 11, 2001
Mike pence
Donald trump
Joe biden
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