USA: ON EVE OF ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS NEW YORKERS COMMEMORATE THE DEAD AND GATHER AT GROUND ZERO
Record ID:
355513
USA: ON EVE OF ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS NEW YORKERS COMMEMORATE THE DEAD AND GATHER AT GROUND ZERO
- Title: USA: ON EVE OF ANNIVERSARY OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS NEW YORKERS COMMEMORATE THE DEAD AND GATHER AT GROUND ZERO
- Date: 12th September 2002
- Summary: (U7)NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 10, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV BAG PIPE PROCESSION; SLV AUDIENCE OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES; MV MEMORIAL WREATHS; MV MAN SALUTING; SLV SERVICE PEOPLE HOLDING FLAGS (5 SHOTS) 0.28 2. LAS TILT DOWN UNITED NATIONS BUILDING; SLV POLICE OUTSIDE BUILDING; SLV SAND TRUCK BLOCKING ROAD AND SECURITY CONCRETE BLOCKS ON
- Embargoed: 27th September 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA56WFCARTGLAQSH1ID380W4L0
- Story Text: On the eve of the anniversary of the September 11th
attacks, New Yorkers have been commemorating the dead, and
gathering at Ground Zero for an unveiling of a memorial wall -
listing the names of the 2,801 victims who died in the World
Trade Center.
Hundreds of federal employees began their day on Tuesday
(September 10, 2002) with a commemoration service to honour
the victims of September 11th. Seven federal employees died
in the attacks, including members of the Secret Service and
FBI. Bagpipes played and special wreaths made up of ribbons
signed by more than 35,000 federal workers were displayed in
honour of the dead.
Meanwhile New York's police department began to prepare
the city for the anniversary, securing potential attack
targets as the country is put on a high state of alert ahead
of the September 11th anniversary. Sand trucks and police
vans surround the United Nations building on the east side of
Manhattan, in preparation for the 57th Session of the General
Assembly. Presidents and leaders from all over the world will
be in New York to attend the U.N session and to mark the
September 11th anniversary.
At Ground Zero mourners were gathering, some in tears, as
they gazed out onto the gaping hole in Lower Manhattan,
watching the construction crews prepare the site for
tomorrow's (September 11th) sombre ceremony. Patricia Bayston
said "It's devastating, it's horrible, horrible, it should
never have happened." Others were defiant and angry, wanting
the U.S to hit hard at those responsible for the attacks.
Richard Grocer said "What happened here we can never forget
thats all we have to go on with life and deal with people and
whatever countries are involved in this, whether it be Iraq or
any other country it's time to take them out now."
And on the wire walls of the Ground Zero site, a ceremony
took place to unveil a semi-permanent memorial wall, listing
the names of all those who died. It was unveiled by New York
Governor George Pataki, who told the audience "More than 2,800
heroes, New York heroes died on September 11th, and this is
sacred ground, this is hallowed ground, and as we move forward
as we must with the rebuilding and the renewal process the
centre piece of whatever happens here must be a lasting
memorial, a permanent tribute to the heroes we lost on
September 11th, and to the courage we showed on that day."
The memorial wall will be closed to the public until after the
weekend, especially for the victims family members to share
quiet moments of reflection. The it will be open for visiting
by the thousands of tourists who visit the site each day.
One man who made that journey, was a man from South
Carolina. Wearing a cowboy hat and sporting a long moustache,
the colourful character drove a coffin bearing a life size
doll of Osama Bin Laden, to Ground Zero. Tourists enjoyed the
spectacle, snapping photos of themselves defiantly standing by
the coffin.
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