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On Tuesday, activists hung a banner at the base of the Statue of Liberty that read, “Refugees welcome.”
We must heed the words of Lady Liberty:#RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/me5TgDWgQc
— Alt Lady Liberty (@AltStatLiberty) February 21, 2017
One of the activists involved told Fusion that they were motivated by Trump’s immigration ban. David says he thinks Trump’s plan “flies in the face of the founding principals of the United States.”
David, like many who oppose Trump, wanted to send a clear message that immigrants make up a large portion of the United States and are vital not only to the economy but also to our communities. The Statue of Liberty, he thinks, is the best symbol of this.
While putting the banner up, the activists were apparently met with encouragement from tourists on site, many of whom seemed to be visiting from foreign countries. Others have also taken to Twitter in support of the banner.
What a beautiful sight! @AltStatLiberty #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/Jo3qbbnn0x
— Occupy Wall Street with a General Strike (@OccupyWallStNYC) February 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/allanbrocka/status/834164525515501568
The Statue of Liberty never did look so fine. 💯#RefugeesWelcome #NoWallNoBan @AltStatLiberty pic.twitter.com/nzhRCIqdtG
— Maria Langholz (@MariaLangholz) February 21, 2017
Despite all the fanfare, the banner didn’t remain up for long and was taken down by the National Park Service this afternoon. The NPS released a statement to Gothamist, stating, “Affixing a banner to the national monument is strictly prohibited, and an investigation is underway by the United States Park Police to identify suspects.”
