Throwback: Woman Arrested After Climbing Statue of Liberty on July 4

The Statue of Liberty has stood as a symbol of freedom as well as a site for protests.

Just a few years ago, Americans were forced to evacuate the historic landmark on the nation’s birthday after a protest broke out against U.S. immigration policy.

Some of the protesters were even arrested.

The Associated Press (AP) reported in 2018 that a woman engaged in a four-hour standoff with police after she climbed the base of the monument and sat by the robes of the statue.

Two officers then climbed up and went over to her.

As the outlet explained, the woman and officers “edged carefully around the statue toward a ladder, and she climbed down about 25 feet (8 meters) to the monument’s observation point and was taken into custody.”

At least a half-dozen demonstrators who displayed a banner were also arrested, as AP reported.

NBC News posted a video of the incident on Twitter.

The woman was identified as Therese Patricia Okoumou, 44, of Staten Island.

Okoumou reportedly told police she was protesting the separation of immigrant children from parents who come across the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

Check out the video below:

Jay W. Walker, an organizer with Rise and Resist, which was the organizer of the demonstration told AP the woman’s ascent was not a part of the protest.

“We don’t know whether she had this planned before she ever got to Liberty Island or whether it was a spur-of-the-moment decision,” Walker said.