UPDATE: Statue of Liberty base climber identified

Updated: 5:45 a.m. on July 5, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on a climber on the base of the Statue of Liberty and demonstrators who hung a banner from the statue's pedestal (all times local):

9:40 p.m.

A federal official says a woman who climbed the Statue of Liberty's base and spurred the statue's evacuation on July Fourth told police she was protesting the separation of immigrant children from parents who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

The official identifies the woman as Therese Okoumou. The official wasn't authorized to discuss it and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A message left at a possible phone number for the woman hasn't been returned.

A group that organized a protest at the statue earlier Wednesday says she took part in unfurling a banner at the statue's pedestal calling for abolishing the federal government's chief immigration enforcement agency. But the group says no one else was aware she would climb the base.

At least six people were arrested in the banner demonstration.

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7 p.m.

A protester who climbed the Statue of Liberty's base has been escorted down by police after a roughly four-hour standoff that forced the evacuation of Liberty Island on the Fourth of July.

After two New York Police Department officers went up to the base and reached her, news helicopter video showed her and the officers moving carefully along the edge of the statue's robes toward a ladder police had set up.

She climbed down about 25 feet (8 meters) to the statue's observation point, with another officer descending ahead of her.

Earlier, several people on the statue's pedestal hung a banner emblazoned with a message about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and were arrested.

The protest group, Rise and Resist, earlier said the climb wasn't connected to the banner demonstration. The group now says the climber was involved in the demonstration but the climb wasn't part of the plan.

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6:45 p.m.

Police have reached a person who scaled the base of the Statue of Liberty on the Fourth of July and appear to be trying to escort her down.

News helicopter video showed two New York Police Department officers, attached to tethers, climb up to the base around 6:15 p.m.

As they approached, she initially moved away, took off her shoes and appeared to be starting to climb further.

Then she sat against the statue's foot, and the officers went up to her. They have since put on her shoes and attached a harness to her.

The climber has been there for about three hours, with police talking to her.

Her climb spurred the evacuation of Liberty Island.

Earlier, several people hung a banner emblazoned with a message about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and were arrested.

___

7 p.m.

A protester who climbed the Statue of Liberty's base has been escorted down by police after a roughly four-hour standoff that forced the evacuation of Liberty Island on the Fourth of July.

After two New York Police Department officers went up to the base and reached her, news helicopter video showed her and the officers moving carefully along the edge of the statue's robes toward a ladder police had set up.

She climbed down about 25 feet (8 meters) to the statue's observation point, with another officer descending ahead of her.

Earlier, several people on the statue's pedestal hung a banner emblazoned with a message about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and were arrested.

The protest group, Rise and Resist, earlier said the climb wasn't connected to the banner demonstration. The group now says the climber was involved in the demonstration but the climb wasn't part of the plan.

___

6:45 p.m.

Police have reached a person who scaled the base of the Statue of Liberty on the Fourth of July and appear to be trying to escort her down.

News helicopter video showed two New York Police Department officers, attached to tethers, climb up to the base around 6:15 p.m.

As they approached, she initially moved away, took off her shoes and appeared to be starting to climb further.

Then she sat against the statue's foot, and the officers went up to her. They have since put on her shoes and attached a harness to her.

The climber has been there for about three hours, with police talking to her.

Her climb spurred the evacuation of Liberty Island.

Earlier, several people hung a banner emblazoned with a message about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement from the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty and were arrested.

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Posted: 3:58 p.m. on July 4, 2018

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A woman has climbed the base of the Statue of Liberty and seven people have been arrested on Liberty Island, all of whom are believed to be protesters, law enforcement sources told CNN.

At one point, the woman walked back and forth under Lady Liberty's sandal and then sat down and appeared to unfurl a small flag or banner. The other protesters held a banner over the railing at the base of the statue.

Law enforcement officials were seen mounting a ladder to the base of the statue and talking to the woman, who was sitting in the folds of the statue's gown.

The NYPD is building a rope rescue system to help bring the woman down from the base, because officers don't believe she will come down on her own, a police source told CNN.

Liberty Island has been evacuated while they attempt to get her down, according to Jerry Willis with the National Park Service.

The NYPD says three of its emergency service units and a harbor unit are on scene.


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