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The commemoration began with an orchestra at the site called “Epicenter” (Ground Zero), where planes hijacked by the international terrorist network Al Qaeda in 2001 shortly after 8 pm 40 min. local time (15:40 min. Lithuania) to the World Trade Center skyscrapers.
Almost 3,000 people died in the attacks.
The memory of those killed in New York was honored with a minute of silence.
The crowd, including President Joe Biden, spoke at 8 pm 46 min. Local time (15:46 min. Lithuania) was muted for a moment, mentioning the time the first plane landed at the World Trade Center.
Subsequently, the families of the victims began to read the names of the victims.
A total of six minutes of silence is scheduled for Saturday’s ceremony. The ceremony should last four hours.
In total, five more minutes of silence are planned for the ceremony on Saturday: 9:00 p.m. 9 min when the other plane crashed into the second skyscraper, 9 pm 37 min when the Pentagon was attacked, 10 pm 3 minutes when the fourth plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at 10 am 28 minutes after the collapse of the Southern World Trade Center skyscraper.
The president calls for unity to be demonstrated
In a video posted Friday, the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Biden called on Americans to demonstrate unity, “our greatest strength.”
In 2001, when the international terrorist network Al Qaeda was attacked by hijacked planes, Biden was a senator. Now, for the first time, he is commemorating the anniversary of these events as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
On Saturday, President and First Lady Jill Biden will visit three locations in the September 11 attacks: New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.
But Biden, widely criticized for managing the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and trying to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, is unlikely to speak publicly during the ceremonies.
Instead, the White House released a prerecorded speech Friday night in which Biden spoke of a “true sense of national unity” after the attacks, which manifested itself as “heroism everywhere, in credible and unexpected places.” .
“For me, this is the main lesson of September 11,” said the president. “Unity is our greatest strength.”
“Unity does not mean that we have to believe the same thing, but we must fundamentally respect and believe in each other and in this nation,” Biden said in a six-minute video.
Biden arrived in New York on Friday night, and the city’s skyline was lit up with the Tribute in Light installation, which fearfully marked the site where two World Trade Center skyscrapers once stood.
Joe bidenas
The first presidential stop on Saturday was the 9/11 National Monument, installed on the site of the twin towers hijacked by hijacked planes 20 years ago, and a world ravaged by horror watched those events on television.
From there, Biden will head to a farm field near Shanksville, where a fourth plane crashed when the plane’s passengers rebelled against the hijackers to keep it out of Washington.
Finally, the American leader will visit the Pentagon.
In a video message, the president of the United States expressed the pain caused by the memories of 9/11, saying: “No matter how long it has been, these commemorations bring it all painfully to his back, as if he had received that news. a few”. seconds ago. “
World leaders are sending messages
World leaders are sending messages of solidarity on Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of September 11. According to them, the attacks failed to destroy Western values.
Below are the reactions of some of the world’s leaders.
United Kingdom
“Now, 20 years later, we can safely say that they (the jihadists) have not been able to undermine our faith in freedom and democracy,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“They have failed to isolate our nations, force them to renounce their values and force them to live in constant fear,” he added.
In a separate statement, Queen Elizabeth II said: “My thoughts and prayers, as well as those of my family and the country at large, are with the victims, the survivors and their families.”
Lithuania
“We are commemorating 20 years since the horrible terrorist attacks of September 11 in the United States. This day of inconsolable pain and pain will always bear witness to the solidarity of Lithuania and the United States in the fight against terrorism,” wrote the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda on Twitter.
For his part, Foreign Minister Gabriel Landsberg affirmed that September 11 will always remain in our memory: “Even two decades later, we continue to cry and honor the victims of this horrible attack on the United States. Today we are consolidating our unity and solidarity in the fight for freedom and common values. “
The European Union
“On September 11 we remember those who lost their lives and we honor those who risked everything to help them. “Even in the darkest and most difficult times, human nature can shine brightly,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“The horrible attacks of September 11 changed the course of history 20 years ago. We remember the victims and the first people who came to their aid. The European Union supports the United States and the president in continuing the fight against it. terrorism in all its forms and extremism, “Charles Michel, President of the European Council, wrote on Twitter.
Australia
“September 11 reminds us that freedom is always fragile. As Ronald Reagan has said,” every generation has to fight and defend it, “said Scott Morrison, head of the Australian government.
“That day there was an attack against all free people. It was an attack on our way of life and the values of liberal democracy. Despite the pain caused by the terrorists, they have not managed to break our resolve and change our way of life.” added.
France
“We will never forget. We will always fight for freedom,” Emmanuel Macron wrote on Twitter.
Switzerland
“The terrorist attacks of September 11 in the United States in 2001 had a profound impact on world politics … By unconditionally rejecting terrorism everywhere and at all times, Swiss President Guy Parmelin expresses his solidarity with all victims of the attack, “the government said. the spokesman said in a statement.
Italy
“Italy is showing solidarity with the United States and other allies to counter the threat of terrorism,” said Italian President Sergio Mattarella.
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