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The large molded bust of Snowden, depicted wearing a collared
shirt and his signature glasses, was placed atop a stone pillar
that is part of an existing monument at Fort Greene Park in
Brooklyn, photos posted to social media showed.
The name "Snowden" spelled out in bronze letters appeared to be
attached to an adjacent shorter pedestal on top of which sits a
bronze bald eagle spreading its wings, a statue that has long
made its home in the park.
The idea for the statue was conceived by two New York guerilla
artists who worked with a West Coast sculptor to create the
finished piece, reported Animal New York, a local news and
culture blog, which was invited to witness the late-night
installation.
The artists, whose names were not disclosed, said they
sympathized with Snowden, the former U.S. National Security
Agency contractor who leaked details of massive U.S.
intelligence-gathering programs and remains in hiding in Russia,
and intended to pay tribute to him with the installation.
"Our goal is to bring a renewed vitality to the space and prompt
even more visitors to ponder the sacrifices made for their
freedoms," they said in a statement published by the blog.
"We hope this inspires them to reflect upon the responsibility
we all bear to ensure our liberties exist long into the future,"
they said.
By late afternoon on Monday, park officials removed the illegal
statue, which park workers had covered with a blue tarp. Park
spokeswoman Maeri Ferguson said park officials were deciding
what to do with it. Ferguson did not say whether park property
had been damaged.
City police said they were investigating.
(Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Barbara Goldberg, Lisa
Lambert and Eric Beech)
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