The city of Bayonne has unveiled a new memorial n honor of the victims of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks.

The memorial honors the 20th anniversary of the ​attacks. Part of the memorial was delayed for several months last year because of COVID-19.

The monument features steel beams donated to the fire department from Ground Zero. It also features the names of the lives lost in the attacks. 

Bayonne’s other 9/11 memorial has caused a bit of controversy. The anti-terrorism monument, or the Teardrop Memorial, was given to Bayonne by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2005.

The 10-story monument honors the lives of those lost during the attacks on the World Trade Center. Several members of the community perished that day. 

The memorial bears Putin’s name, and since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine several weeks ago, city officials moved forward and covered the president’s name.

“If he makes right toward Ukraine, then we can have a ceremony unveiling it again,” says Mayor Jimmy Davis. “If he doesn’t, then that’ll be something that we as the city would decide and the biggest thing is not to damage any part of that monument.”

The monument also honors the FDNY, the NYPD and the Port Authority Police Department. It will also honor Bayonne resident William Mackow, who died in the 1993 attack.