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Decision To Honor 9/11 With Low-Flying Warplane Canceled Amid Backlash
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 11, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Sep 11, 2020
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A planned military flyover marking the anniversary of 9/11 was cancelled on Friday morning, after the decision to honor terror victims with a low-flying warplane was widely panned as tasteless and inappropriate.
The Department of Defense announced their intention late Thursday to fly an F-18 jet over the Hudson River on Friday afternoon on the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, which prompted widespread outrage on social media.
"Are you out of your mind?" tweeted Congressman Max Rose. "Cancel this immediately."
"This seems like a really bad idea, verging on completely tasteless," added Brandon Borrman, the vice president of communications at Twitter.
A spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who initially said he was unaware of the flyover, confirmed on Friday that the display of remembrance had been called off at the city's request.
"City Hall had formally asked DOD not to proceed with this, and we’re glad to hear it isn’t happening," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Inquiries to the defense department were not immediately returned.
It's not the first time a planned military flyover has drawn the ire of New Yorkers. This past April, as New York City was emerging from the height of the COVID-19 crisis, a Blue Angels flyover honoring first responders was widely perceived as a tone-deaf display of patriotism.
You can read how actual New Yorkers are observing today's anniversary here.
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9/11
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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