September 11 watch party criticised

A planned "Watch Party" reshowing news footage of the attacks of 11 September 2001 has been criticised as "crossing a line".

The event, staged by political arts group Verdurin, is due to re-run television broadcasts of the attacks on New York Trade Center in real time. It will take place at the Wild Boscombe Cafe in Bournemouth after the 25th anniversary later this week.

Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) councillor Simon McCormack criticised the event and said it "risks turning tragedy into spectacle".

The cafe hosting the screening insisted it was "not intended as a celebration or trivialisation" of the attacks.

The 9/11 attacks saw 19 Al Qaeda members hijack four commercial passenger planes in the US.

Two of them were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, resulting in them both collapsing.

Another plane struck the Pentagon, near Washington DC, while the fourth plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania - it was believed to be destined for the US Capitol Building, also in Washington DC.

The attacks killed 2,977 people and injured tens of thousands more.

Verdurin's website describes itself as addressing "urgent cultural, political, and philosophical questions through visual culture".

In an email, curator Pierre d'Alancaisez said: "The news footage of the attacks marked a shift in how we relate to media, how we understand events, and what conclusions we draw from aesthetic experience relayed to us by television cameras.

"The focus of the screening and discussion is the unwitting role of media itself in pre-empting responses, such as paranoia or conspiratorial thinking.

"What we are showing are historical documents (already available to the public) that, owing to their ongoing global influence, warrant wide engagement and scrutiny.

"There will be no spectacle here (note, for example, that we are asking the audience to hand over their mobile phones so that they can concentrate on the image), other than the 'spectacle' constructed in 2011 by news organisations in real time."

The event is being staged in Bournemouth as part of the Adam Curtis Party Conference event, having been previously presented in London in 2024.

Its online listing promises attendees can "relive the hours that shook the world".

"Experience again the fear, the tears and the paranoia of the live analysis while watching raw footage of the disaster," it added.

Christchurch Independents councillor Simon McCormack said he was "deeply concerned" by the planned event.

"This was a real human tragedy - not entertainment, a 'watch party' or an experience to be recreated for an audience.

There are respectful ways to remember the victims, educate people about what happened and examine how the attacks changed the world.

"But packaging their final moments and the suffering of their families as an immersive event crosses a line and risks turning tragedy into spectacle," he posted on social media.

Adam Curtis Party Conference organiser Brian Jenner recalled how the attacks in the US were "totally shocking".

"We're looking at 9/11 from a media perspective, how it was portrayed and how it became a spectacle.

"It's not about upsetting anyone.

"Everyone has a story about where they were. Everyone is free to interpret these things."

In a statement, the owners of the Wild Cafe said: "We completely understand why the title, particularly when seen without context, has caused concern.

"The work is not intended as a celebration or trivialisation of the attacks.

"We recognise that the subject matter and deliberately provocative title will not be comfortable for everyone, particularly on the 25th anniversary, and we respect that."

They said they had "concerns" about the event's online listing and asked the organisers to provide "clearer context about the nature and purpose".

Verdurin has been contacted for comment.