Empty chairs honor 9/11 victims in moving memorial at Bryant Park
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Nearly 3,000 folding chairs lined Bryant Park on Friday as part of a public memorial honoring those lost in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Each of the 2,753 chairs represented a person killed on 9/11 and was arranged facing south toward the Twin Towers that once stood in Lower Manhattan. The installation was open to the public, with visitors invited to take a flower and leave a note on a chair.
"It's so compelling, it's so hard, but you know they didn't win. We are still here," one visitor said while reflecting on the memorial.
Dan Biederman, founder of the Bryant Park Corporation, said members of the public were encouraged to participate in the tribute by leaving a flower or note on each of the chairs.
Another visitor emphasized the importance of remembering the tragedy and those who responded to it.
"It means so much to remember how horrible this was and how much they worked to save everybody. They tried so hard," she said.
The memorial required an overnight effort to assemble it all together, with organizers lining up chairs until 4:30 a.m.
Later Friday morning, many people walked around wiping tears and it was unusually quiet. Few wanted to talk, with some saying not here, not today.
As visitors moved among the rows of chairs, many paused to reflect, pray and leave messages in remembrance of those lost on Sept. 11.
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Download our connected TV app
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
