Updated (March 19, 2019): Therese Patricia Okoumou will not go to prison for climbing the Statue of Liberty.
The activist was sentenced to five years of probation and 200 hours of community service for her Fourth of July protest, reports the New York Daily News. Okoumou showed up to court with clear tape wrapped across her face to protest the suppression of her free speech. She also had “I care” written across her headband.
Manhattan Federal Court Magistrate Gabriel Gorenstein ordered her to remove the tape before proceeding with the sentencing hearing. Okoumou obeyed his commands. The 45-year-old spoke passionately about the plight of immigrant families at the border during the court appearance.
“I am frightened by this country’s moral bankruptcy,” said Okoumou. “Your society is not an advanced civilization, your honor. Donald J. Trump terrorized immigrant families entering the country — legally.”
Gorenstein wasn’t moved.
“She did not climb the Statue of Liberty to rescue a child,” the judge said. “The law that prevents people from climbing the Statue of Liberty is not unjust. The defendant apparently thinks because her cause is important, it doesn’t matter the danger she causes others.”
Prosecutors initially asked for 30 days in jail and three years of probation for Okoumou, according to AmNY. They claim her “behavior since her arrest, and especially since her conviction, has shown flagrant disregard for the law and for the Court.”
Original: Therese Patricia Okoumou was found guilty on federal charges related to her highly publicized climb of the Statue of Liberty.
New York Magistrate Judge Gabriel Gorenstein found Okoumou guilty of trespassing, interference with government agency functions and disorderly conduct, all misdemeanors, on Monday, according to The Guardian.
Okoumou had a bench trial because Gorenstein didn’t think a jury trial was necessary for the minor charges. She pleaded not guilty to all counts.
The charges stem from Okoumou’s choice to protest the Trump administration’s border separations by climbing the Statue of Liberty on 2018's Fourth of July.
The activist wore a blue dress printed with the words “Seeking Asylum is NOT a Crime” and repeated her support for forcibly separated families during her trial.
An emotional Okoumou said images from the border traumatized her and moved her to act.
“I’m sorry that I’m crying. I couldn’t live with it,” she said through tears. “It would never happen in my country – we don’t treat children like political bait. I just have had nightmares and night sweats.”
Okoumou added she felt like she had to do something bold.
“I wanted to send a strong statement that children do not belong in cages,” Okoumou testified. “I went as high as I could.”
The Congolese activist said she would not hesitate to do it again if it contributed her cause.
“Unfortunately, as long as our children are placed in cages, my moral values cause me to do something about it,” Okoumou said.
“So, is it your testimony you would do the same thing again?” Ron Kuby, one of her lawyers, asked.
“Yes,” she answered.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman represented the government in the case and is satisfied with the decision, according to WABC. He argued Okoumou's righteous cause did not justify her actions and said he believes she put several lives at risk.
"The act of climbing the base of the Statue of Liberty went well beyond peaceable protest, a right we certainly respect," Berman said in a statement. "It was a crime that put people at grave risk. We commend Judge Gorenstein's decision to hold Therese Okoumou accountable for her dangerous and reckless conduct.”
Okoumou faces 18 months in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 5.
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