NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The Staten Island Sept. 11 Memorial has been damaged by vandals again.
The “Postcards” Memorial on the St. George Waterfront contains 274 plaques in honor of Staten Islanders who died in the 1993 and 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
For many families, the memorial is a place of reflection and solace.
In recent weeks, officials said some of the plaques have been damaged or removed. This is at least the third time this memorial has been vandalized. Christine Collins came to visit and said she can’t believe it.
“It’s just awful. There’s no words really. You can’t express it because it’s just so wrong. It’s so bad,” Collins told WCBS 880’s Peter Haskell.
In addition to the damage, graffiti was found on the memorial but has since been cleaned off.
Vandals hit Staten Island’s “Postcards” WTC Memorial. April 11, 2013. (credit: Peter Haskell/WCBS 880)
Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro said the memorial is hallowed ground.
“I feel violated,” said Molinaro. “To many of them, this is their cemetery. They have no remains at all.”
A ceremony is held each year on Sept. 11 at the memorial.
The memorial site is managed by the city’s Economic Development Corporation.
Molinaro said repairs to the damaged and removed granite plaques could be completed in the next two to three weeks.
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