Solemn procession returns remains of 9/11 victims to Ground Zero amid family protests that loved ones shouldn't rest in a museum

  • Unidentified remains have been stored at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner but were moved this morning to Ground Zero
  • Will be placed in a special room inside the memorial museum
  • Relatives gathered in protest as the procession of ambulances and police cars drove the remains to the site
  • Some angry that their loved ones' remains will be in a museum
  • Relatives will still have access to the room to visit the remains

By Associated Press

Published: 07:30 EST, 10 May 2014 | Updated: 16:52 EST, 10 May 2014


The unidentified remains of those killed at the World Trade Center have returned to the World Trade Center site in a solemn procession on a foggy Saturday morning.

The remains were moved from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Manhattan's East Side at dawn Saturday, accompanied by police and fire department vehicles with lights flashing but no sirens.

The remains will be transferred to an underground repository in the same building as the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

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Procession: The remains were accompanied by police and fire department vehicles with lights flashing but no sirens

Procession: The remains were accompanied by police and fire department vehicles with lights flashing but no sirens

New resting place: The remains will now be stored in a special area of the memorial museum at the Ground Zero site which will still be run by the Office of the Medical Examiner
New resting place: The remains will now be stored in a special area of the memorial museum at the Ground Zero site which will still be run by the Office of the Medical Examiner

New resting place: The remains will now be stored in a special area of the memorial museum at the Ground Zero site which will still be run by the Office of the Medical Examiner

Reflective weather: The fog that settled over Manhattan this morning set the tone for the event

Reflective weather: The fog that settled over Manhattan this morning set the tone for the event

Holding out hope: Officials hope that improvements in technology will eventually lead to the identification of the 7,930 fragmentary remains

Holding out hope: Officials hope that improvements in technology will eventually lead to the identification of the 7,930 fragmentary remains

Paying respects: Firefighters stand to attention as the emergency vehicles transport the remains to Ground Zero

Paying respects: Firefighters stand to attention as the emergency vehicles transport the remains to Ground Zero

Like many decisions involving the site of the nation's worst terrorist attack, the disposition of the unidentified remains has been contentious.

A group of victims' family members who say the remains should be stored in an above-ground monument separate from the museum protested Saturday's procession.

About a dozen wore black bands over their mouths at the site Saturday.

'Don't put them in the basement!' Rosemary Cain, who lost her firefighter son at the trade center, said Thursday.

What remains: Rosaleen Tallon, whose brother Sean died in the Towers, has been fighting for the rights of the victim's families for years

What remains: Rosaleen Tallon, whose brother Sean died in the Towers, has been fighting for the rights of the victim's families for years

Standing their ground: Some of the relatives of the victims whose remains have not yet been identified protested the decision to move the remains

Standing their ground: Some of the relatives of the victims whose remains have not yet been identified protested the decision to move the remains

Protest: The relatives take issue with the remains being in a museum and so they were waiting for the delivery on Saturday morning to make their protest

Protest: The relatives take issue with the remains being in a museum and so they were waiting for the delivery on Saturday morning to make their protest

Still fresh: Iliana Flores (left) and her mother Ilia Rodriguez (right) lost Carlos Lilo, their brother and son respectively, in the terrorist attack and his remains are among those that remain unidentified

Still fresh: Iliana Flores (left) and her mother Ilia Rodriguez (right) lost Carlos Lilo, their brother and son respectively, in the terrorist attack and his remains are among those that remain unidentified

'Give them respect so 3,000 souls can rest in peace!'

Other family members support the plans, which have been in the works for years

The repository will be available for family visits but will be overseen by the medical examiner.

Officials hope that improvements in technology will eventually lead to the identification of the 7,930 fragmentary remains.

Making their statement: About a dozen protestors gathered on Saturday morning

Making their statement: About a dozen protestors gathered on Saturday morning

Quiet: The protestors wore black scarves across their mouths, signifying how their voices aren't being heard

Quiet: The protestors wore black scarves across their mouths, signifying how their voices aren't being heard

Controversy: Like many decisions involving the site of the nation's worst terrorist attack, the moving of the remains has been met with mixed responses from relatives

Controversy: Like many decisions involving the site of the nation's worst terrorist attack, the moving of the remains has been met with mixed responses from relatives

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I think the kindest thing to do is bury the remains in consecrated ground and hold a beautiful service for them so they are together in peace.

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And if they weren't put in a museum, family's would be in an 'outcry' that their loved ones were not being memorialized.

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I think it is a wonderful idea I do feel sorry for the folks that do not agree but like all of us we have to face closures of our own one day and in this regard I am sure the majority will go with this plan.

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We will never forget ... How a government sacrificed its own people to start a bankers war .

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What else are they supposed to do with them? Much as I feel for the relatives involved in this atrocity, they cannot be simply divided up between them. RIP to all lost on that terrible day.

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I will never forget that day, some of the comments here are so disrespectful it saddens me greatly.

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My respect to all the families but I think this is a wonderful idea. I personally would prefer this even for myself. So sorry for those who oppose it. May they find peace.

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Building 7. ... Ahem ....cough ... Cough.

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I'm sure it raises terrible grief for the families. like an open wound for some. Thankfully this is still a country where dissent can be expressed. I personally think the examiners office made a good decision as the remains can still be visited in a special resting place.

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Who ever thought of the museum idea should be brought before a court... wow what a callous thing to state ! The dead should be given appropriate respect and burial . end of !

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Personally I think it's a lovely memorial ..

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