The woman who climbed up the Statue of Liberty on the 4th of July for three hours, prompting an evacuation of the island and an emergency police response, will appear in federal court today to face trespassing and other charges.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The woman who climbed up the Statue of Liberty on the 4th of July for three hours, prompting an evacuation of the island and an emergency police response, will appear in federal court today to face trespassing and other charges.
Tourists first noticed the woman, identified as 44-year-old Therese Okoumou, around 3 p.m.
A National Park service spokesman said Thursday that Okoumou used a ledge above a doorway on the public observation deck to hoist herself onto base of the monument, reports CBS2’s Reena Roy.
She laid by Lady Liberty’s foot, roughly 100 feet off the ground, swinging her legs, waving below and even taking off her shoes to try to climb farther.
All the while, NYPD officers surrounded her in helicopters and on the ground to get her down safely.
Visitors were evacuated from Liberty Island via tour boats, as two Emergency Services Unit officers climbed a ladder to the statue’s base, hoping to reason with the woman.
The officers said initially she was hostile, but they kept calmly talking to her. Around 6:30 p.m. they finally had her cornered and could secure a safety line on her to walk her down and put her in handcuffs.
Police say she was protesting immigrant children being separated from parents at US Mexico border.
A group that organized a protest at the statue earlier Wednesday says she also took part in unfurling a banner at the statue’s pedestal, but they did not know about Okoumou’s plans to make the climb after their demonstration was over.
Okoumou is charged with trespassing, interference with national park regulations and disorderly conduct. She’s was held overnight at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
The Statue of Liberty opened for visitors again on Thursday, noting July 5 was traditionally the busiest day of the year to visit the monument. Tour tickets were reportedly sold out.
