Former U.S. presidents join 9/11 remembrance at Ground Zero in New York
New York marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Friday with a ceremony at Ground Zero that drew three former U.S. presidents
New York marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Friday with a ceremony at Ground Zero that drew three former U.S. presidents and their wives. Barack Obama, Joe Biden and George W. Bush attended the morning observance in Lower Manhattan.
The gathering came as the reflecting pools at the former World Trade Center site again became the focal point of remembrance, a place where families, survivors and officials have gathered every year since the attacks. The anniversary carried unusual weight this year, a quarter-century after hijacked planes struck New York, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, reshaping security policy, foreign policy and public memory far beyond the United States.
A familiar place, a heavier anniversary
The New York ceremony was part of a day of memorial events across the country. In Washington, President Donald Trump was set to head to the Pentagon for its anniversary observance, while separate commemorations were planned for families and victims connected to the attacks. The 25th anniversary has brought a wave of reflection on the historical legacy of 9/11 and the continuing impact on those who lived through it.
At Ground Zero, the atmosphere remained solemn. The names of the dead were expected to be read, as they are each year, while the reflecting pool stood as the visual center of the remembrance. For many families, the milestone brought back not just grief, but the long afterlife of the attacks — security measures, health effects and the passing of time.
Families press their case
The anniversary also gave some relatives of 9/11 victims a platform to renew long-running demands. Some used the ceremony to call on Trump and the federal government to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the attacks. Others spoke out against hate, with the son of a 9/11 victim condemning Islamophobia during the Manhattan ceremony.
Those voices showed how the day now carries more than memory. It remains a site of argument, accountability and unresolved pain. Even 25 years on, the ceremonies did not only look backward. They pointed to questions that still sit unanswered for many families, and to the public scrutiny that follows every September 11 observance in New York.
