Statue of Liberty climber to be arraigned in court
NEW YORK: A New York woman was expected to be arraigned in federal court yesterday, a day after authorities say she scaled the stone pedestal of the Statue of Liberty to protest US immigration policy, media reported.
Therese Patricia Okoumou, 45, of Staten Island, was charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct and interference with governmental administration and was being held by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Okoumou was scheduled to be appear before a federal magistrate for an arraignment hearing, the newspaper reported.
On Wednesday, Okoumou climbed the stone pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and began a three-hour standoff that led to the evacuation of the landmark on America’s Independence Day.
A group called Rise and Resist said on Facebook that Okoumou was part of its Fourth of July protest at the base of the statue against immigration policy. The protesters unfurled a banner that read ‘Abolish ICE’. The group said it was working to get legal representation for Okoumou.
ICE refers to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, whose recent treatment of families that crossed illegally into the US has become a source of discord.
ICE is at the centre of the Trump administration’s shelved policy of separating some children from their parents when they cross illegally into the United States from Mexico, leading to calls to disband the agency. — Reuters