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Tuesday marks 17 years since the 9/11 attacks.
There were nearly 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001 when two planes slammed into the World Trade Center, a third crashed into the Pentagon and a fourth went down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
In Lower Manhattan, there is the annual reading of the names and moments of silence.
"Take time to think about how this morning 17 years ago changed our world - the sacrifice, the bravery, the courage. Today, & every day we remember each life. We honor them. And we are forever vigilant against all who many try to harm us, our great city, & our nation," Police Commissioner James O'Neill tweeted.
Of the nearly 3,000 people killed on 9/11, 343 were firefighters. In the years since, an additional 182 have passed away because of diseases caused by the toxic dust and debris in the air after the attacks. More than 1,000 others also have cancer or respiratory problems.
“Most people will remember those that we lost, but 9/11’s not a day of remembrance. 9/11 is a day of continuance. It’s still killing,” John Feal, an advocate for 9/11 victims and survivors, told WOR’s Alice Stockton-Rossini.
Feal helped push Congress to pass the Zadroga Act to provide healthcare to first responders. That’s set to expire in 2020 and Feal is calling on the program to be extended.
“Not asking. Not begging like we did in 2010 and 2015. We’ll be demanding it and whoever gets in our way we’re going to punch them in the mouth,” Feal said.
Photo Credit: Getty Images