PHOTOS BY TODD MAISEL Thousands honor victims of 9/11
terrorist attacks in New York City
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
BY EMILY DAVENPORT AND ROBERT
POZARYCKI
For the 19th time, thousands of family members
and elected offi cials converged on the World Trade
Center site Friday morning to remember those killed
in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks — though this ceremony
was unlike any previous commemoration due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands gathered in Lower Manhattan at the 9/11
Memorial and Museum for the annual tribute to the nearly
3,000 people killed in the attacks on the World Trade
Center, the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93. The
ceremony featured the live singing of The Star-Spangled
Banner and musical tributes from bagpipers and drummers
— but for the fi rst time, the ceremony did not include a
live reading of the victims’ names.
The memorial instead played a recording of the victims
names, having cancelled the tradition this year due
to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. A socially
distanced crowd of family members visited the refl ecting
pools marking the former Twin Towers’ footprints, leaving
fl owers and other tributes near the names of loved ones
lost in the attacks.
Among those in attendance for the ceremony were former
Vice President and current Democratic presidential
nominee Joe Biden and Jill Biden, Vice President Mike
Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence, New York Governor
Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Congresswoman
Carolyn Maloney, New Jersey Governor Phil
PHOTOS BY TODD MAISEL
Vice President Mike Pence shared an elbow bump
with Vice President joe Biden running for president at
the 9-11 memorial ceremony on the 19th anniversary.
Murphy, New York Senator and Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer, among many others.
Meanwhile, as the offi cial 9/11 memorial went on, the
Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation hosted their
own live name-reading ceremony near Zuccotti Park, about
a block from the World Trade Center site. The nonprofi t for
fi rst responders organized the event after the live namereading
was scrapped this year.
Vice President Pence and the Second Lady spoke at the
ceremony following his appearance at the 9/11 Memorial.
The name-reading was interrupted so the Pences could
address the crowd.
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
After delivering a brief speech and offering a prayer, the
vice president departed the podium, prompting some in the
crowd to chant “four more years” — an unusual injection
of politics on what is traditionally a solemn, apolitical day
in America.
Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani was also in
attendance.
Dean Moses contributed to this report.
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
14 Sept. 17, 2020 Schneps Media