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Crowds Flock To Ground Zero To Mark Osama Bin Laden's Death
By
Jen Chung
Published May 2, 2011
Modified May 2, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 2, 2011
Modified May 2, 2011
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As reports emerged that U.S. forces killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden—followed by President Obama's live address confirming the 9/11 mastermind's death—hundreds (possibly more than a thousand) gathered at Ground Zero. With the illuminated under-construction-rebuilt World Trade Center towering above the, people chanted, "U.S.A! U.S.A!" as they waved American flags and cried. One man drove in from NJ and declared to WCBS 2, “It’s really a terrific day for not just America but for the world. To have this cancer pulled from us is the right thing. This is judgment day, and we’re winning."
A woman "holding a flag and wearing a T-shirt depicting the twin towers and, in crosshairs, bin Laden" whose husband was a freelance journalist killed in the Iraq Warsaid, "We've been waiting a long time for this day. I think it's a relief for New York tonight just in the sense that we had this 10 years of frustration just building and building, wanting this guy dead, and now he is, and you can see how happy people are."
The crowd also sang the National Anthem and held signs, such as "Obama 1, Osama 0." Some firefighters were there, too, and one said that there was "a lot of emotion... It's up and down, because we're very happy he's dead and we're bringing back 10 years of memories for these families who lost...a lot of empty chairs."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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