NEW YORK (NewsNation Now) — Americans are commemorating 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions, including of the annual reading of the victims’ names.
The 9/11 memorial announced last month it was nixing the Tribute in Light, the twin blue beams that shine into the night sky over lower Manhattan, due to coronavirus concerns.
The cancellation outraged some victims’ relatives, police and fire unions and politicians, who noted that construction sites around the city were deemed safe to reopen months ago. After the Tunnel to Towers foundation said it would organize the display on its own, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the memorial’s billionaire chairman, stepped in to keep the memorial-sponsored lights on. (Tunnel to Towers is now stationing lights at the Flight 93 memorial and the Pentagon.)