Liberty Island was evacuated on Wednesday as police scrambled to coax a woman down from the base of the Statue of Liberty, sparking security concerns and creating a Fourth of July social-media sensation.
The woman made it onto the green pedestal, about 25 or 30 feet above the observation deck where tourists are allowed, and around 150 feet off the ground. She was arrested at 6:30 p.m., after a roughly three-hour rescue effort.
Earlier Wednesday, seven people were arrested for hanging a banner on Liberty Island that read: “Abolish I.C.E.,” referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis said it is illegal to climb the monument, which nobody had attempted in recent memory, and hanging such a banner on the property violates federal code.
He said the climber was Therese Patricia Okoumou, 45 years old, of Staten Island, who was in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct and interference with governmental administration.
Ms. Okoumou was scheduled to be arraigned before a federal magistrate on Thursday. Information on a lawyer for her wasn’t immediately available.
The activist group behind the banner, Rise and Resist, said on Facebook Wednesday night that the climber was one of 40 participants in the banner action, but her decision to scale the statue was made independently, without consulting any other member of the group.
“We understand and share her desire to see the immediate release of children from detention and reunion with their parents,” said the group’s statement.
Earlier, the New York-based group had tweeted that the climber wasn’t connected to its demonstration.
A New York Police Department spokesman said its officers helped the U.S. Park Police in the effort to retrieve the woman.
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Source: WSJ
