Oklahoma City bombing 25th remembrance moved to airwaves amid pandemic

The Oklahoma City bombing 25th remembrance will take place on local televisions stations as in-person gatherings remain banned across the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s the first time since the April 19, 1995 bombings that the remembrance ceremony isn’t taking place at the former site of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The site is now a memorial that showcases 168 glass and steel chairs to represent those who died in the bombing. 

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the memorial has been closed to the public. Instead of the usual remembrance activities, such a reunions with survivors, local TV stations will air a pre-taped video featuring some of the survivors and family members. 

Oklahoma City imposed a stay-at-home order on March 28, but the state itself has not done so. 

Oklahoma is one of the states with more lenient “stay at home” guidelines, only requiring vulnerable populations to stay home, and has less recorded cases than other states with larger populations. However,Oklahoma saw a 53% increase in cases over the past week, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 

Oklahoma is one of a slew of states that saw protests this week from residents who have become frustrated with the closure of nonessential businesses. In Oklahoma City, motorists circled the capitol Wednesday demanding Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) scale back the existing order.