Anniversary: Wall Street marks 10 years since shutdown

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17: Wall Street is still grim front-page news today, but it was 10 years ago today that Wall Street’s reopening was the talk of the nation: On Sept. 17, 2001, Wall Street trading resumed for the first time since closing on 9/11. News stories across the country interviewed experts, traders and everyone in between about the impact of the terrorist attacks on America’s epicenter of commerce. The shutdown of 2001 was the longest that Wall Street had experienced since the Great Depression; the Dow lost 648.81 points, making the drop its worst one-day loss in history.

Although the U.S. economy was shakey before the attacks, the collapse of the World Trade Center’s twin towers added to the increasing decline. (A PBS Newshour anticipated the shutdown’s effects.) Still, ten years ago, the recession was far from the minds of Wall Street workers who returned to a site still immersed in smoke, rubble and hundreds of American flags. Several workers voiced a resistance to returning so early, but others argued that showing perseverance was important in the face of the attacks. (Read CNN’s article here.)

Today, protestors have vowed to bring 20,000 individuals to Wall Street for an event dubbed “Occupy Wall Street,” during which they’ll aim to nudge President Obama to establish a commission to end “the influence money has over our representatives in Washington.” (Businessweek has more.) The protestors plan to begin occupation today and to continue for “a few months,” the website suggests. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has shown support for the right of the protestors to voice their opinion.

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