Home Scandal and Gossip Photos: Statue of Liberty protestor I’d, ‘ICE release all the children’

Photos: Statue of Liberty protestor I’d, ‘ICE release all the children’

Christopher Koulouris: About author bio at bottom of article.
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Therese Patricia Okoumou
Pictured, 'Rise and Resist,' protester, Therese Patricia Okoumou. Image via social media.
Therese Patricia Okoumou
Pictured, ‘Rise and Resist,’ protester, Therese Patricia Okoumou. Image via social media.

Therese Patricia Okoumou Statue of Liberty immigrant freedom fighter identified as Rise and Resist activist demanding ICE release all children detained released. 

A woman who tried to scale the Statue of Liberty as part of her protests against President’s Trumps immigration policy and ICE agents while causing a four hour stand off with the NYPD has been identified as Therese Patricia Okoumou.

The nydailynews reported the 44 year old female Staten Island resident being an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

When not attending activist meets (more on that below… and how) Therese Okoumou worked as a personal trainer.

The 4th of July stand off led to six other arrests as ‘Rise and Resist’ protesters used the Independence Day to take a stand against ICE actions towards immigrants.

There had been initial speculation that Therese Okoumou was fighting alongside the activist group, a claim the group initially dispelling before relenting and conceding that Okoumou was involved with the group.

Told the activist group on their Facebook page, ‘Rise and Resist was at the Statue of Liberty demanding Trump and the GOP #AbolishICE, reunite families now, halt deportations, and end detention as a deterrent. Activists were arrested. #EndFamilySeparation #AbolishCBP #FreeOurFuture #HereToStay.’

By the end of the day, the group tweeted the following show of support:

We’ve received several requests to help Patricia, a member of Rise and Resist who climbed the Statue of Liberty today. Once we find out her legal needs, we’ll post any efforts to help her on our Twitter feed. It’s reported that she’s been charged with federal misdemeanors.

Therese Patricia Okoumou: A rebel with a cause (a history).

During demonstrations, ‘Rise and Resist’ protesters unfurled a banner calling for the immigration-enforcement agency to be abolished. The incident prompted the National Park Service electing on Independence Day to close Liberty Island as questions remained how the protesters were able to take the Statue of Liberty base. 

At the height of the stand off, Okoumou had resisted yielding to authorities demands to relent, with the woman instead demanding all the immigrant children detained by ICE be released.

Of note, it wasn’t the first time Okoumou was dealing with larger than life issues.

Reports the nypost: ‘According to court records, she’s a Congolese immigrant who once filed a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights — seeking a judicial review and reversal of a “determination” it made regarding alleged incidents of abuse that Okoumou suffered at the hands of a social services agency on Staten Island where she worked.

‘Specifically, Okoumou claimed that in 2005 she was treated “in a demeaning manner” by her bosses and told that she would be fired “for complaining of discrimination.” It’s unclear why her complaint was tossed out.’

But there’s more…

Therese Patricia Okoumou
Therese Patricia Okoumou, seasoned activist, protester.
Therese Patricia Okoumou
Therese Patricia Okoumou: rebel with a cause?

Therese Okoumou: Prior arrests and active fighter of causes.

During an August 2017 protest, Therese Okoumou was arrested for trespassing, obstruction of government administration and misdemeanor assault during a demonstration against the state Department of Labor on Varick Street.

The nydailynews reported, Okoumou, who carried a protest placard, covering her mouth with tape and declining police demands she leave the building. She refused to enter an ambulance by lying on the ground, kicking her feet and flailing her arms, according to police. She was charged with misdemeanor assault after one of the cops was hit during her flailing, authorities said.

Public records show that Okoumou has a long history of fighting social justice battles, even her own.

She unsuccessfully filed a human rights complaint in 2007 against a group home in Staten Island for racial discrimination.

Therese Patricia Okoumou
Pictured, Therese Patricia Okoumou

Therese Patricia Okoumou: Committed ‘bad ass’ activist.

It later emerged Okoumou being a ten year resident of the St George area of Staten Island with the woman’s neighbor telling the nydailynews, ‘She can be very nice and she can be a bitch. When I vacuum, she bangs on the wall. I bang back, and she put a dent in my door.’

A fellow Rise and Resist supporter mentioned Okoumou being a ‘bad ass’. 

‘She’s very dedicated to the resistance generally, but specifically to the issues surrounding immigration and the treatment immigrants have been receiving from ICE and Customs and Border Control,’ explained Jay Walker, a Rise and Resist activist via the nypost. ‘She’s been an active member for about four and five months.’

The activist group said Okoumou managed to make it up to the feet of Lady Liberty all on her own, without ropes or climbing gear.

‘We came through all the security protocols that we needed to when getting onto the Liberty Island ferry,’ Walker told the nypost, noting how Okoumou made it through the metal detectors.

Adding, ‘I guess she just had some hidden climbing skills that none of us knew about.’

Okoumou is scheduled to appear in Manhattan Federal Court on Thursday on numerous federal charges, albeit all misdemeanors.

‘The charges are expected to be violation of national park regulations or public use limit; trespassing; disorderly conduct; and interfering with government functions,’ the nydailynews reported.

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