New York Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 Attacks; Trump Skips Ground Zero

New York on Friday commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks with a ceremony at Ground Zero, where families of victims gathered to remember those killed in the deadliest terror attack on US soil. President Donald Trump did not attend the New York event and instead paid his respects at the Pentagon, where one of the hijacked planes crashed. A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks.

Vice President JD Vance and Trump's four living predecessors — George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden — attended the Ground Zero ceremony in lower Manhattan. The event began shortly after 8:40 a.m. local time and was designed to remain apolitical, with no speeches. Bereaved relatives read the names of those killed, while bells marked key moments from the attacks.

The ceremony also featured criticism of Saudi Arabia from Terry Strada, the widow of victim Tom Strada. In unscripted remarks, she questioned why there had been no justice over what she described as Saudi Arabia's role in the attacks. The September 11 attacks were carried out by 19 Al-Qaeda operatives, most of whom were Saudi nationals, under the direction of Osama bin Laden.

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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, also attended the memorial amid criticism from right-wing groups and former mayor Rudy Giuliani. A petition opposing his presence had gathered more than 100,000 signatures. Mamdani has also received praise for releasing thousands of documents concerning what city officials knew about air toxicity in Lower Manhattan after the World Trade Center collapse, an issue linked to illnesses affecting thousands of people.

The attacks involved four hijacked passenger planes. Two struck the World Trade Center's Twin Towers, a third crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth came down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft. More than 9,400 people have since died from illnesses linked to 9/11, according to the federal health programme established for affected survivors and responders.

The anniversary also brought renewed attention to the challenge of preserving memories of the attacks as generations grow up without direct memories of that day. Retired firefighter John Fila recalled that his firehouse lost 15 members in the attacks and said it remained important for older firefighters to explain their lives and service to newer generations. Security around the memorial was strengthened, including an anti-drone team, while New York Harbor hosted a display of 2,977 lights representing each person killed on September 11.

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