24th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks: United States Holds Official Ceremonies and Tribute Events
The United States is organizing official ceremonies, volunteer actions, and tribute events this Thursday to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks, which occurred 24 years ago. Many relatives of the nearly 3,000 victims will join officials and political figures for commemorations in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. These events are taking place in a context of increasing political tensions. The 9/11 commemoration, often presented as a day of national unity, comes on the heels of the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot while giving a speech at a university in Utah. According to authorities, Kirk's murder is expected to lead to additional security measures around the 9/11 ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York. At Ground Zero in Manhattan, the names of the victims will be read aloud by their families and loved ones during a ceremony attended by Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance. Moments of silence will be observed at the exact times when the hijacked planes struck the two iconic World Trade Center towers, as well as at the time of the towers' collapse. At the Pentagon in Virginia, a ceremony will pay tribute to the 184 military personnel and civilians killed when a hijacked plane struck the headquarters of the US Department of Defense. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are expected to attend the ceremony before heading to the Bronx on Thursday evening to attend a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers.
