New York is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with thousands expected to gather at Ground Zero to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil.
The anniversary ceremony in Lower Manhattan is taking place without President Donald Trump, who is observing the occasion at the Pentagon, another site targeted in the attacks.
Vice President JD Vance and four living former presidents — George W. Bush, who was president when the attacks occurred, along with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden — are expected at the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan.
The ceremony will focus on remembrance rather than political speeches. Family members of those who died will read the names of the victims, while bells will mark key moments during the attacks.
The event has also drawn political controversy over the planned attendance of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Mamdani has faced calls from conservative groups and political figures to stay away from the commemoration. A petition opposing his participation has reportedly gathered more than 100,000 signatures, citing concerns about his associations and positions on American institutions and extremist ideologies.
Supporters of the mayor have criticised the campaign, arguing that his religion should not determine whether he participates in a ceremony honouring victims of the attacks.
Mamdani has also received recognition for releasing thousands of documents detailing what city authorities knew about toxic air conditions in Lower Manhattan following the collapse of the World Trade Center.
The destruction sent massive clouds of dust and debris through surrounding areas, followed by months of persistent pollution. Exposure to the contaminated air has been linked to serious illnesses, including cancers, suffered by thousands of people in the years since the attacks.
The September 11 attacks began when 19 Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked four commercial aircraft.
Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, bringing down the iconic 110-storey buildings. A third aircraft crashed into the Pentagon, while the fourth came down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to regain control of the plane.
A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks.
The human toll, however, has continued to grow in the decades since. More than 9,400 people have died from illnesses linked to the attacks, according to the federal programme established to provide healthcare to those affected.
For many Americans, September 11 is now an event remembered largely through history rather than personal experience. About 100 million people in the United States were either not yet born or were too young to remember the attacks when they occurred.
For survivors and families of victims, however, the consequences remain deeply personal.
Large crowds are expected around the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan, with authorities imposing extensive security measures around the site.
The U.S. Secret Service has established a security perimeter around the memorial, while the New York Police Department is deploying an anti-drone team as a precaution. Authorities say there is no known specific threat to the commemoration.
The anniversary has also drawn attention from Al-Qaeda, which marked the occasion by releasing a video featuring images of its late leader Osama bin Laden and his son, Hamza bin Laden, who U.S. officials said was killed in 2019.
Ahead of the main commemoration, New York Harbor was illuminated by a drone display featuring 2,977 lights, with each light representing a person killed in the September 11 attacks.
Twenty-five years on, the anniversary continues to serve as a solemn reminder of the lives lost, the families affected and the lasting impact of an attack that reshaped the United States and the world.
