THE PEOPLE of New York have paid a solemn tribute to the victims of 9/11, exactly 19 years on from the terror attacks on the World Trade Center.
Two powerful beams of light were shone high above the Manhattan skyline in the exact spot where the North and South towers once stood.
The annual “Towers of Light” ceremony serves as a commemoration for those who died in the terrorist attack and the brave first responders who still bear the scars and residual effects of their heroic attacks on that fateful day.
This year’s memorial suffered some disruption due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The “Towers of Light” ceremony initially appeared in doubt amid concerns that the event would spark a mass congregation of people in New York.
While the subsequent backlash from angry New Yorkers eventually saw the New York Fire Department reinstate the lights, the tradition of reading out the names of the victims of the attack remained cancelled.
Almost 3,000 people and close to 350 firefighters died in the attack, including 1,000 people who were of Irish descent or birth.
The Tribute in Light art installation shines into the sky over Manhattan on September 11, 2020 in New York to mark the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP)Ultimately, New York marked the date with two ceremonies at the September 11 memorial plaza and at a corner near the World Trade Center.
Vice President Mike Pence was expected at both memorials while Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was present at the memorial plaza.
Both Biden and President Trump also visited the the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
