NEW YORK �� A woman wearing a "Rise and Resist" shirt spent the 4th of July climbing the base of the Statue of Liberty, officials said.
The unidentified climber was seen scaling the base of the Liberty Island statue about 3 p.m. Wednesday.
Liberty Island was evacuated as a precaution as U.S. Parks workers tried to bring the climber down. Parks workers also blocked the base of the statue with chairs to prevent anyone from getting close, witnesses said.
Investigators first believed that the climber was part of an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest sponsored by the group Rise and Resist that was held on the island earlier Wednesday. But members of that group said the climber was not part of their protest.
Parks police arrested and cited seven people after the group unfurled an "Abolish ICE" banner at the base of the statue, according to a U.S. Parks Police spokesman. The seven were charged with unlawful protest.
"ICE has proved to be a threat to our liberty and way of life, and should be abolished," said Leon Kirschner, a Rise and Resist member. "They go after the most vulnerable among us, acting without due process to detain people. For-profit companies are making money off family separation. This has to stop now."
