Woman "Climbs" The Statue Of Liberty To Protest Trump's Immigration Policy
NBC News- Holiday visitors to Liberty Island had to change their plans as authorities evacuated the landmark as a precaution after a protester scaled the base of the Statue of Liberty.
NBC New York reported that the demonstrator, identified by the National Park Service as Therese Patricia Okoumou, 44, of Staten Island, said she wouldn’t come down until children separated from unauthorized parents at the U.S.-Mexico border were reunited. Authorities who scaled the base apprehended her shortly after 6:30 p.m.
Members of the New York Police Department’s elite Emergency Services Unit said at a news conference that they’ve conducted rescue training on the statue but that this operation was difficult because “there was nothing for us to grab” for stability, said Detective Brian Glacken, one of two officers who first made contact with Okoumou.
What a hassle. Just seems like there are better ways to get your point across. I’ve never been a big protestor but does this really move the needle more than an organized march? Creating a massive scene like this and forcing tourists to evacuate the island–on the 4th of July, no less–is the equivalent to streaking at a big game with “free the nipple” painted on your body. It feels more indulgent than courageous. Not to mention, it takes those emergency responders away from focusing on shit that actually matters. I understand that people are frustrated with what’s happening at the border and with the overall immigration policy. But this sort of lone wolf publicity stunt only widens the rift over immigration because it paints the protestors as reckless and obnoxious. I’m sure that many people who disapprove of the current immigration policies do not want this woman’s actions to speak for them. Indeed, the group Rise and Resist–of which she’s a member–disavowed her display while supporting the message.
Here’s what we know about the outspoken climber:
NY Daily News- A woman who lives in her building said she wears her passions on her sleeve.
“She can be very nice and she can be a b—h,” said the woman, who declined to give her name. “When I vacuum, she bangs on the wall. I bang back, and she put a dent in my door.”
The two later reconciled after Okoumou took a liking to the woman’s dog.
Ah. One of those neighbors who bangs through the wall. I used to live above an old lady who would bash her broom handle against the ceiling if I walked around without socks on. She’d get to bed around 6PM and I had to tiptoe around like Anne Frank until I slunk into bed. She was a nightmare but you never saw her belaying her way up a national monument to protest the treatment of early sleepers.
Last point– if you’re going to climb the statue of Liberty, you’d better get farther than her feet. Make it to the torch and have helicopters dangling ropes down. It goes against everything I just said about not creating a hassle for the responders, but at least it would be entertaining. She’s a personal trainer too, so she definitely has the strength to get to the crown. This is so boring. I regret that I blogged it.