The Liberty Island in New York City was evacuated on 4 July after a woman, wearing an anti-Trump T-shirt, climbed the Statue of Liberty's base to protest against the separation of children from their migrant families at the US-Mexico border
The Liberty Island in New York City was evacuated on 4 July after a woman, wearing an anti-Trump T-shirt, climbed the Statue of Liberty's base to protest against the separation of children from their migrant families at the US-Mexico border.
New York Police Department officers took almost three hours to coax and bring the 44-year-old woman, who has been identified as Therese Okoumou, down 25 feet (8 meters) to the statue's observation point.
News helicopter videos showed officers, tied with harnesses, trying to reach the woman.
Initially, she was seemingly violent as she threatened to push an officer down and even tried to climb further, but later gave up the effort and sat against the statue's foot.
She was then assisted down and taken into custody.
Okoumou was part of a group called Rise and Resist, which gathered to unfurl a banner saying "Abolish ICE!" at the statue's pedestal.
ICE is a division of the Department of Homeland Security whose responsibility is to deport unauthorized immigrants in the US.
However, the group said that climbing the statue was not a part of the demonstration and no one else was aware of the woman's motives.
At least six people were arrested in the banner demonstration, according to the National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis, as reported by the Associated Press
Liberty Island has always been a hotspot for protesters. Last year, a big crowd gathered there to protest against Donald Trump’s ban on travelers from seven majority Muslim nations with placards saying, “"America was built by refugees," and "Muslim ban is un-American."
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