The ceremony was organized by the American embassy. The commemoration of 9/11 in the Grote Kerk was already today, because tomorrow is Open Monument Day.
Democratic values, peace and security
Rutte said that the 9/11 attacks changed the world and that we were confronted with “that blind hatred and extremism threaten our way of life”. He added that we must protect democratic values and peace and security, possibly with weapons.
He emphasized that terrorism has been fought in many places over the past twenty years, pointing to the great importance of NATO. According to him, the importance of the alliance is more apparent than ever.
The prime minister called the attacks of twenty years ago barbaric. He expressed his condolences to the bereaved and said there will always be a world before and after 9/11.
View the portraits that the NOS made of people who were there twenty years ago:
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