Yesterday we reported on a woman that was seen climbing the Statue of Liberty in New York City. At the time details of the incident were unknown, but it was suspected as a possible protest.
Now more details of the incident have become available.
According to the New York Daily News, the woman spotted climbing the statue has been identified as Therese Patricia Okoumou. She was climbing the statue as part of a protest against U.S. immigration policy.
Okoumou, 44, was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has been living in New York City for the past 10 years.
Since the incident, she was arrested and charged with federal trespassing, disorderly conduct, and other charges. She is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday.
Okoumou has been a part of a group called Rise and Resist, and according to member Jay Walker, she has been participating in one protest a week with the group.
Walker said, “She’s been an active member of Rise and Resist for four or five months. She’s participated in quite a few of our actions.”
He continued, “No one in the group knew this was going to happen. We don’t know if she did it on the spur of the moment or if she had been planning it beforehand.”
According to the site, the group disclaimed Okoumou’s actions on their social media posts, ut remained concerned for her well-being. “I hope when they took her down they didn’t injure her. That’s our main concern,” said Walker.
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