Woman who climbed Statue of Liberty in immigration protest given probation
Source: The Guardian and agencies
The woman who climbed the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York on Independence Day last year to protest against the separation of migrant families at the US-Mexico border has been sentenced to five years’ probation and 200 hours of community service.
Therese Patricia Okoumou, who is known as Patricia, was sentenced in a New York court on Tuesday after being convicted last December of trespass for attempting to climb the outside of the Statue of Liberty last 4 July, then refusing to come down, as police helicopters circled and the monument was evacuated.
Okoumou arrived at court with clear tape across her mouth, to protest against what she said are restrictions to her freedom of expression in relation to her determination to carry out direct action-style protest over immigration rights.
The judge in the case ordered her to remove the tape before she could be sentenced, and Okoumou complied. She had also written on her face the words “I care” and turned up in court with fellow activists in support.
-snip-
Guardian staff and agencies
Tue 19 Mar 2019 16.12 GMT
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/19/statue-of-liberty-probation-therese-patricia-okoumou-protester
= new reply since forum marked as read
