A quarter-century after the 9/11 attacks, dignitaries and mourners gathered in Lower Manhattan to read the names of those killed when hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center. The ceremony took place beneath swamp white oak trees between the memorial pools where the towers once stood.

Relatives held photos of the dead as children spoke to grandparents they never met. Some criticized the federal government for working with Saudi Arabia. Terry Strada of 9/11 Families United said, "It has been one betrayal after another."

Four living former presidents attended, along with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who shook hands with Rudy Giuliani. Vice President JD Vance stood in for President Trump, who attended a Pentagon ceremony.

In New York, there were no speeches from elected officials, focusing on families. The names included six killed in the 1993 bombing. Firefighters gathered to honor their 343 fallen brothers.