The woman who was spotted climbing the Statue of Liberty on Wednesday, prompting authorities to evacuate Liberty Island during a protest has been arrested.
The woman and at least a half-dozen demonstrators who displayed the banner were arrested, while the climb forced thousands of visitors to leave the iconic American symbol on the nation’s birthday.
The lady identified as Therese Patricia Okoumou, a 44-year-old immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo stayed for nearly three hours on the base of the statue before she was rescued and arrested.
Sources revealed to NY Post that Okoumou was protesting the separation of immigrant children from parents who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.
Officers from the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit transported her to a federal detention center on Wednesday night. Her case is reportedly being handled by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York.
Okoumou is expected to appear in Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday and may face misdemeanor charges including trespassing, disorderly conduct and violating national park.
