BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC | In the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris last week, Downtowners gathered at the memorial to their own darkest hour on Monday to show their support.
The National September 11 Memorial becomes a place to mourn the victims of another terrorist atrocity in the wake of the horrific attacks in Paris last week.
The National September 11 Memorial hosted a ceremony to show New York’s solidarity with the City of Light following a night of coordinated attacks last Friday that 129 people left and 352 injured in what many are calling “France’s 9/11.”
There was a short speech by Bertrand Lortholary, France’s consul general in New York, followed by a moment of silence before the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” was played.
Children and adults held up France’s tricolor flag, and supporters laid flowers at the memorial’s famed “Survivor Tree,” which miraculously survived the fiery collapse of the World Trade Center towers in 2001 and have since become a powerful symbol of resilience in the face of terrorism.
Locals place tricolor bouquets at the memorial’s famed “Survivor Tree.”
Many in Lower Manhattan may recall the comfort and inspiration they got following the 9/11 attacks from a seeing another potent symbol — a gift from France — standing vigil in New York Harbor, summed up by “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart short afterwards: “The view from my apartment was the World Trade Center,” he said. “Now, it’s gone … But, do you know what the view is now? The Statue of Liberty. The view from south Manhattan is now the Statue of Liberty. You can’t beat that.”
Supporters express solidarity with the people of Paris by signing posters adorned with an angelic image of the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France that was a potent symbol of strength for New Yorkers after the 9/11 attacks.
