New York marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks

New York is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with a ceremony on Friday. President Donald Trump will be absent from the event in New York City, where hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Center and killed most of the 2,977 victims. Vice President Mike Pence and Trump's four living predecessors, Republican George W. Bush, and Democrats Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton, are expected to attend the Ground Zero site.

No speeches will be given during the ceremony, but bereaved family members will read out the names of all those killed, and a bell will be rung to mark significant moments during the attack.

Robert Kafka, a Chicagoan visiting the 9/11 Memorial, emphasized the importance of memorials and discussions about such events to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Democratic Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, will also be present alongside the former presidents, despite a campaign by the right-wing New York Post and former mayor Rudy Giuliani urging him to stay away.

A petition with over 100,000 signatures accuses Mamdani of associating with individuals who are dismissive of American institutions or insufficiently critical of extremist ideologies. Critics argue that Mamdani is being treated differently solely because of her Muslim faith.

Mamdani has revealed thousands of documents detailing the city's knowledge of the toxic air levels in Lower Manhattan following the attacks, which caused cancer among thousands of New Yorkers. Nineteen Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four planes on September 11, 2001, with two planes striking the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, causing them to collapse. A third plane hit the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers fought back.

In total, more than 9,400 people have died from 9/11-related illnesses, and over 100 million Americans were not even born or too young to remember the tragic events. Logan Miller, whose uncle died in the attacks and whose grandfather later died from 9/11-related illness, expressed concern that the younger generation struggles to comprehend the full impact of the events.

A security ring of steel has been erected around the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and an anti-drone team is deployed as a precaution, though there is no specific threat intelligence. Al-Qaeda marked the anniversary by releasing a video featuring images of late leader Osama bin Laden and his son Hamza, who Trump claimed was also killed.

A drone show with 2,977 lights, one for each victim, rose above New York Harbor to commemorate the attacks.