Liberty Island evacuated after statue base climber, banner

By Associated Press

Published: 21:18 BST, 4 July 2018 | Updated: 22:33 BST, 4 July 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – Liberty Island has been evacuated because of a climber at the Statue of Liberty.

A person climbed the statue’s base on the Fourth of July shortly after several people were arrested after hanging a banner from the statue’s pedestal calling for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

News helicopter video showed the climber sitting Wednesday by the bottom of the statue’s robes, about 100 feet (30 meters) aboveground. Police nearby tried to persuade the climber to descend.

This image taken from video shows people climbing on the side of the Statue of Liberty's pedestal on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 in New York. Several people who hung a banner calling for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the statue's pedestal have been arrested, and authorities say a person is scaling the statue's base. National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis says the climber was at the base beneath the statue's foot Wednesday afternoon. Willis says police are atop the base, advising the climber to go down. It's unclear whether the climb is related to the earlier banner demonstration. (AP Photo)

This image taken from video shows people climbing on the side of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 in New York. Several people who hung a banner calling for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the statue’s pedestal have been arrested, and authorities say a person is scaling the statue’s base. National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis says the climber was at the base beneath the statue’s foot Wednesday afternoon. Willis says police are atop the base, advising the climber to go down. It’s unclear whether the climb is related to the earlier banner demonstration. (AP Photo)

Earlier, National Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis said at least six people were taken into custody for the banner, which read “Abolish I.C.E.,” referring to part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Willis says federal regulations prohibit hanging banners from the monument.

Banner organizing group Rise and Resist says the climber isn’t connected to its demonstration.

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