New York on Friday commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with bereaved families, political leaders and thousands of visitors gathering at the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan.
The ceremony comes 25 years after hijacked planes were used in an attack that killed 2,977 people and reshaped US security and foreign policy.
US President Donald Trump was absent from the New York ceremony, choosing instead to attend a memorial at the Pentagon. Vice President JD Vance and former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton were expected at Ground Zero.
The ceremony was scheduled without political speeches. Family members of the victims were to read the names of those killed, while bells would mark key moments during the attacks.
Mamdani attends despite backlash
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was also expected at the ceremony despite opposition from some right-wing figures who had called for him to stay away.
Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, has faced criticism over his political associations. A petition calling for his exclusion from the commemoration reportedly gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
Supporters, however, criticised what they described as different treatment of the mayor because of his religion.
Mamdani has also received attention for releasing thousands of documents concerning what city officials knew about air toxicity in Lower Manhattan following the attacks.
9/11’s health toll continues
The consequences of the attacks have extended far beyond the 2,977 people killed on September 11.
According to the federal programme established to provide medical care to people affected by the attacks, more than 9,400 people have since died from 9/11-related illnesses.
Dust and toxic substances released after the collapse of the World Trade Centre buildings exposed survivors, rescue workers and residents to hazardous air for months.
Mamdani said earlier in the week that people became ill because officials had told them the air was safe to breathe.
Remembering a changing generation
The anniversary is also being marked as a new generation grows up with no personal memory of the attacks.
About 100 million Americans were either not born or were too young to remember September 11, 2001.
Logan Miller, who lost an uncle in the attacks and later lost his grandfather to a 9/11-related illness, said younger people increasingly ask questions about what happened.
Large crowds were expected in Lower Manhattan, with heightened security around the memorial site. Police said an anti-drone team would be deployed as a precaution, although authorities said there was no specific threat to the gathering.
Ahead of the ceremony, 2,977 lights were displayed above New York Harbor in honour of each person killed in the attacks.
