Amid the outpouring of grief and solidarity that marks the aftermath of instances of mass violence, iconic global monuments have often used their lights and facades to make a statement and engender poignant symbolism. Saturday’s mass shooting at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando — the worst in U.S. history, where 50 people were killed — is no different.
While New York City’s Empire State Building chose to remain dark on Sunday night to commemorate the Orlando victims (as it has in the past), its crosstown cousin One World Trade Center — also known as the Freedom Tower — lit up its spire in the colors of the rainbow, a symbol of the LGBT community that was targeted in the attack.
