New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg is defending the city’s decision to move this year's September Eleventh memorial ceremony out of ground zero. Some families of 9/11 victims have said they'll apply to hold their own ceremony at the trade center site if city and state officials don't reverse the decision by tomorrow. But the mayor says everyone should join the official event at nearby Zucotti Park:

BLOOMBERG: Hopefully the families will participate. We'd like to have everybody participate but that's where it's going to be. We can make the area big enough; we can secure the area. It's safe.

REPORTER: Bloomberg and Governor Spitzer recently told victims' families that the ceremony would NOT take place at ground zero this year because of expanding construction at the site.