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CNN Live Today
N.Y. Officials Announce Plans to Mark First Anniversary of Terror Attacks
Aired August 06, 2002 - 13:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: No big speeches on September 11th, at least not in New York City. Today, officials announced plans to mark the first anniversary of the terror attacks. The day will be short on public proclamations, and long on public participation.
CNN's Michael Okwu in New York to tell us more about it -- Michael.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, hello.
The mayor and the governor today saying that this would be a day for reflection, for basically remembrance and introspection. Mayor Michael Bloomberg saying that it's a day that will start fairly early in the morning. Drum and pipe processions originating from the boroughs of New York City will make their way to ground at about 8:00 in the morning.
And at 8:46 a.m., which is of course the time when the first hijacked plane slammed into the tower, there will be a moment of silence followed by the governor, George Pataki, reading from the Gettysburg Address.
And that will be followed by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani reading family members in the reading of all 2,823 names of those men and women who died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MYR. MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: Our intent is to have a day of observances that are simple and powerful, that honor the memory of those we lost that day and that gives New Yorkers, Americans and people around the world the opportunity to remember and reflect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: You're looking at live pictures of ground zero, where they of course have various proposals as to what they will rebuild on that site. We understand that on that day, on 9/11, the anniversary, New York Governor -- New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey will read from the Declaration of Independence, and at 10:29, which is the time that the second tower finished its collapse, essentially churches and houses around this city will be invited to toll their bells. And then a very special moment, families will be allowed for the very first time to descend the ramp and walk down on to ground zero, which many people call essentially a sacred site, each with a rose and with a vase that will become part of permanent memorial at the site.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTY FERER, WIDOW OF VICTIM: They wanted to be able to interact with ground zero in some way, and think about what you do a year after someone dies. You go to the cemetery, you pay your respects, you lay a stone, you law a flower. And the mayor and the governor have seen to it that the families can try to go down that ramp and do that, because for them, that's the sacred ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: There will be candlelight events all across the city, specifically at some of the parks in New York City, and they will be filled with music that the mayor says will reflect the tone of the day. This is a day that, as you can imagine, New Yorkers have been anticipating with equal measures of dread and hope, hope because, at least according to some of the families that I have spoke to, they say that this is going to be the first real opportunity for them to close a very dark chapter -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Michael Okwu, thank you.
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