Woman Climbs the Statue of Liberty on Fourth of July to Protest Trump’s Immigration Policies

Protests regarding the Trump Administration’s immigration policies reached new heights on the Fourth of July.

A woman, later identified as Therese Okoumou, climbed onto the base of the Statue of Liberty and managed to remain there for three hours.

Police eventually managed to bring Okoumou down, and subsequently placed her into custody. Her actions caused the monument to be shut down, despite the Fourth of July celebrations happening nearby. Several thousand tourists were cleared from the island during the incident.

The event caught the attention of the media and was partially televised, with networks constantly updating the situation.

Okoumou’s protest started around 3:00 PM on Independence Day, which is usually the busiest day for the national monument’s tourism industry. It is believed that about twenty thousand people visit the Statue of Liberty each Fourth of July, and this year was no exception.

Video footage of the scene showed Okoumou laying on the bottom of the statue’s robe, apparently waving a T-shirt of some kind. As that part of the statue is not particularly sturdy, police officers and the monument’s workers feared that she could break it or cause damage to either herself or the other tourists.

Police gave Okoumou orders to climb down safely. She refused, and the New York Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit was subsequently called to the scene.

Okoumou was brought down at about 6:30 PM, not too long before a fireworks show was scheduled over the nearby Hudson River.

Okoumou is currently being kept in federal custody and will be put on trial in the Manhattan Federal Court today.

Officials have reported that, due to possible safety risks and endangerment of the monument’s visitors, tourists began to evacuate about half an hour after Okoumou started her protest.

This is not the first time that the Statue of Liberty has been used as the setting for a political protest. On the same day, a group of demonstrators from the group Rise and Resist brought a banner to the monument and called for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be dismissed and dismantled. Rise and Resist formed shortly after the 2016 elections, and they have recently joined the several protests nationwide against ICE and its harsh legislation. Although Okoumou is part of Rise and Resist, the organization was quick to clarify that her actions were separate from theirs.

One of Rise and Resist’s organizers, Jay W. Walker, responded to questions about Okoumou and her involvement in the group. He mentioned that she used a different name, Patricia, when introducing herself to the members, and that she used to be very active in activities related to protests and activism.

He stated:

“She’s a free citizen in the world — it’s a choice she made. I think the choice she made is certainly bringing more attention to the overall protest. We don’t condemn her for the choice she made, and we’re going to do anything we can to support her.”

He also remarked that a day like Independence Day was perfect to demonstrate “what this country stands for,” using such an iconic and visible attraction that is usually associated with patriotism.  He did show some regret regarding Okoumou’s actions, as there were many tourists who traveled long distances to see the statue and had to leave it because of her protest. He especially mentioned that some people may have only had this time as an opportunity to visit the event, and will not get another chance to experience it.

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons