Posted on 09/26/2001 5:14:04 AM PDT by Movemout
NEW YORK (AP) - Emergency crews worked through the night to dismantle a seven-story fragment of metal facade, all that remained standing of the World Trade Center and one of the most photographed scenes of the destruction.
But people who walked to the police barricades hoping to take pictures of the demolition early Wednesday were met by new signs warning that all cameras and video equipment were forbidden there and could be confiscated.
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani issued the order Tuesday because the site is a crime scene, according to a statement from his office. No one was available early Wednesday to explain why the order wasn't issued earlier.
Officer Michael DiFrancisco, standing guard at a barricade, said the ban was also "out of respect for the families and all those concerned."
Giuliani on Tuesday also said single-occupant cars would be barred from entering the city at certain times starting Thursday to ease congestion. The mayor planned to meet with transportation officials Wednesday to discuss the details.
Bridges and tunnels into Manhattan were choked with traffic for much of Tuesday while police searched vehicles and inspected drivers' licenses, causing some delays of more than two hours.
The security increase began shortly before Attorney General John Ashcroft told Congress terrorists may be planning an attack using a truck carrying hazardous chemicals. Twenty people have been charged with trying to obtain fraudulent licenses to drive tanker trucks, officials said. Some may have connections to the hijackers, the Justice Department said.
Late Tuesday, 287 people had been confirmed dead and 6,347 were listed as missing at the World Trade Center in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
History teacher Bill Homan, 27, had been in the financial district taking photos for several hours before he heard about the ban, but said he planned to continue. Four of his friends from high school died in the attack, he said.
"On TV, you've got all these preppy guys reporting from ground zero, but that's not even one 100th of what it really looks like," Homan said.
As crews began tearing down the remaining facade Tuesday, voters across the city were choosing candidates for mayor.
Billionaire media mogul Michael Bloomberg defeated Congressman Herman Badillo in the primary for the Republican mayoral nomination, and Public Advocate Mark Green will face Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer in a runoff to decide the Democratic candidate.
Giuliani is barred by term limits from running again, though some people, including Gov. George Pataki, suggested writing in the mayor's name. The write-in count wasn't available early Wednesday.
At ground zero, the demolition work kicked up dust, and the sounds of drills filled the night. Rescue workers emerging from the area were applauded by bystanders. Nearby, sanitation workers hosed off streets as they prepared to re-open them to traffic.
The seven-story chunk of facade, which looked like a piece of rusty lace stretching out of the rubble, was slowly pulled on top of the debris pile in large chunks by workers using cables and cranes.
Francie Clavin took Tuesday off, boarded a train from Philadelphia and stood with several dozen people at the barricades for hours to watch the remaining pieces come down.
"It was my last chance to see this," said Clavin, 43. "I had to come and see for myself. It's an important part of history."
Giuliani said the structure had to be removed to make cleanup efforts safer and easier. He assured residents that as much of the facade as possible would be saved in case it is wanted for a future memorial.
Preserving the ruined remnant of the south tower - struck by the second jetliner and the first to collapse - as a memorial was suggested by Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has been captured in hundreds of photos of ground zero since the Sept. 11 attack on the 110-story towers.
Architect Alphonse Diaz, who watched workers tearing it down, approved of the removal.
"It was unsafe. And who wants to be reminded anyway?" he said.
The city will begin providing free legal assistance Wednesday to help victims' families obtain death certificates, even though their loved one's remains have not been found. The process will make it easier for families to collect insurance benefits and workers' compensation and gain access to bank accounts.
Some families also are receiving grants up to $30,000 from the American Red Cross to help with short-term expenses such as mortgages, rent or funeral costs.
The mayor, meanwhile, encouraged residents to get on with their lives.
"Life is risky," Giuliani said Tuesday. "You can decide to live your life afraid of that happening, or you can decide to live your life the way Americans live their lives, which is unafraid."
It's been fingers from the beginning. The very first blast blew an extraordinary number human bits onto the surrounding rooftops and fire escapes. I know a photographer on the ground there. He waited a week for permission to shoot for a day.
Yes, there is "control" over the flow of info right now, and while I have reservations about that, I can see why it is necessary during a national emergency.
Every piece of the oportunists puzzle shows up right on time -- and is dropped in place.
And notwithstanding that the head general [AKA "Commander in Chief"] has arrogantly illegally, unlawfully and unconstitutionally sent a huge military force off to war without so much as a request to the only arm of our goverment permitted to either raise and army -- or to wage war -- let alone in accordance with its declaration [IE its permission!] -- or that his transportation secretary has arbitrarily issued the largest bunch of the stupidest regulations we have seen in decades of he issue of large bunches of stupid regulations -- last Tuesdays greatest threats to Our Fraternal Republic's underpinninnings haven't even shown up yet -- but are certain to bring down way more than a couple of buildings!
And to threaten hundreds of millions of lives -- rather than just a few thousand.
I don't know that legally the mayor can suppress photography at the site, whether it's a crime scene or not. As I recall, numerous photographs of murder victims, burglaries, etc. have appeared in the newspapers over the years. A photograph in no way disturbs the evidence. There's more going on here than meets the eye.
Ever heard of boats and helicopters?
Is this clear?
1. Restrictions on taking money out of the country and on the establishment or retention of a foreign bank account by an American citizen.
2. Abolition of private ownership of hand guns.
3. Detention of individuals without judicial process.
4. Requirements that private financial transactions be keyed to social security numbers or other government identification so that government records of these transactions can be fed into a computer.
5. Use of compulsory education laws to forbid attendance at presently existing private schools.
6. Compulsory non-military service.
7. Compulsory psychological treatment for non-government workers or public school children.
8. An official declaration that anti-communist (Patriot) organizations are subversive and subsequent legal action taken to suppress them.
9. Laws limiting the number of people allowed to meet in a private home.
10. Any significant change in passport regulations to make passports more difficult to obtain.
11. Wage and price controls, especially in a non-wartime situation.
12. Any kind of compulsory registration with the government of where individuals work.
13. Any attempt to restrict freedom of movement within the United States.
14. Any attempt to make a new major law by executive decree (that is, actually put into effect, not merely authorized as by existing executive orders.)
Comments?
I think this is exactly the case.
A simple anecdote: My pop and I watched a car-motorcycle accident that terribly wounded the rider. We rushed over and administered first aid to stop the bleeding and treated the fella for shock while someone called for an ambulance. Within seconds, there was a crowd of gawkers standing around saying: "OOOOh, look at that." "Is that a leg?" "Ooooooh, yucky."
The worst was finally when some dumbass lady's dog started licking up the guys blood out of the gutter. We went ballistic at that kicking and shoving the idiots away from there, and swearing at them to get lost.
I see this action in the same light....
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