Protester on the Statue of Liberty

So I guess this gets added to the list of "Ways It Is Not OK to Protest" then.
Still waiting for the list of "Ways It Is Acceptable to Protest".
Perhaps people who were lucky enough to go to Liberty Island today can reframe the experience of being a part of history. I remember being in NYC during Occupy Wall Street and staying in a hotel overlooking Zucotti Park. It was crazy with the occupy people and the law enforcement. I guess I could have complained that my vacation was ruined because it was really difficult to get to and from the hotel. I thought it was amazing to be in the midst of a revolution regardless of my level of involvement or short-term inconvenience.

My comments apply to the people to whom they apply. Having a different opinion is fine, but if you share it, I may comment and I may not agree. And others won’t agree with me. It’s fine. I can handle it.

Ah. The quintessential pea “I’ve lost the argument and don’t know what I’m talking about so you need to SEEK HELP” post.

It’s possible to learn from a “scrapbooking” message board, you know. Instead of just digging in to defend ignorance.

So in regards to the rest of the thread, I am of 2 minds on it, really. On the one hand, I get that she wanted to protest in a way that would achieve more attention and she succeeded. A group quietly protesting at Ellis Island or the Statue would likely never have made the news, meaning only a small number of people would even have been aware of them. She made sure the protest received much more coverage...whether she was actually with the group or not, and she did so without do anything that might endanger anyone, which I appreciate & respect.

And the flip side, I will say that I would feel badly if people started protesting in ways which shut down the Statue and/or Ellis Island regularly. I think these days, it's a good thing for more and more people to visit the statue & Ellis Island and hopefully remember that their own families weren't guaranteed entry into this country when they arrived. That they are not somehow more entitled to be here then families just trying to arrive now. So while I totally get why the statue is a very poignant place to stage a protest, I also feel like it might be a place we don't want to shut down over and over again. And that's not to say that I think people will start staging similar protests in the future, just that I would likely be concerned about it if something like that were to start happening.

I'm not sure I'm explaining my thoughts well today. Sorry.

Oh, I hate heights and was like, "She did that in pink tennies. My goodness." She is brave. 

Understandable. But protests are designed to disrupt, to “cost” something. First responders were probably in greater danger from fireworks yesterday than from this protest. But I can understand your conflict.

I’m more disappointed that this thread could have been a discussion of the history of protesting and how it has been successful or not. Instead it turns into a hand slap marathon between a few trying to show how they are right. Condescension doesn’t promote discussion, which is a never ending issue on this board.

Calling the protester an idiot is a valid position to take. So is agreeing with the protester. Having a discussion about why you think one side or other (or both) has a valid position is part of the discussion. The quote from MLK was a masterful touch. Too bad it’s marred by the petty back and forth of thinly veiled (and not so thinly veiled) insults.

Okay, well let's talk about it! 

The protester is definitely getting a lot of attention, both positive and negative. She's an activist, and can be seen speaking here:

cbslocal.com/video/3894377-statue-of-liberty-climber-therese-okoumou-speaks-outside-court/

I think her message is getting lost in the disappointment of all the people turned away. It would have been more powerful to do this not on the 4th when the focus was on her message instead of how she ruined everyone’s 4th. Oh, and it’s the 4th so nobody’s really paying attention anyway.

I will also say there is power in dignity. Scrambling around the base of the SOL playing keep away from the authorities looked ridiculous on the news. She had everyone’s attention. When they came up to get her she should have stood proud and allowed herself to be escorted off the platform.

To give some historical connections, how do you feel Therese Patricia Okoumou's protest relates to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words when speaking about the Birmingham Campaign in 1963, in which he says the "purpose of direct action" being to create a "situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation?" (from www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/0115/Martin-Luther-King-Jr.-8-peaceful-protests-that-bolstered-civil-rights/The-Birmingham-campaign-1963)



The Birmingham Campaign
Lasting about two months in 1963, the Birmingham campaign was a strategic effort started by Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference to end discriminatory economic policies in the Alabama city. Some of the protests included boycotting certain businesses that hired only white people or that had segregated restrooms.

When businesses refused to change their policies, protesters held sit-ins and marches, with the aim of getting arrested. King encouraged these nonviolent tactics so that the city’s jails would overflow. Police used high-pressure water hoses and dogs to control protesters, some of whom were children. By the end of the campaign, many segregation signs at Birmingham businesses came down, and public places became more open to all races.

Of the tactic used in the Birmingham campaign, King said, “The purpose of … direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.”

I think this is a hot button issue that would have been on the nightly news with discussion. I saw the one clip, but then there were fireworks, and oppressive heat, and a huge storm rolling into town. Other than here, it was long off my news radar before the evening was over.

ETA: I think in this age of everyone looking for their viral video fame, dignity has a place to differentiate your cause being serious instead of “look at me, I went viral”. I believe most people only know some lady in pink shoes climbed up the SOL and ruined a bunch of tourist’s visit. I doubt 75% of American’s know why she did it. Protesters have to control their message for maximum effect. So after thinking about it I’m siding with she leans toward idiot. She squandered an opportunity due to lack of planning and knowing how to get the message across.