Snowden monument erected in NYC park

A monument to Edward Snowden was erected in Fort Greene on Monday morning.Photo: Justine Williams

Edward Snowden has made it to the Big Apple.

Two anonymous artists brought a 100-pound plaster monument, which features a 4-foot-tall replica of Snowdens head with his signature square glasses, to Fort Greene Parks Prison Ship Martyrs Monument early Monday morning.

We have updated this monument to highlight those who sacrifice their safety in the fight against modern-day tyrannies, the artists wrote in a statement to ANIMAL New York.

It would be a dishonor to those memorialized here to not laud those who protect the ideals they fought for, as Edward Snowden has by bringing the NSAs 4th-Amendment-violating surveillance programs to light, they added. All too often, figures who strive to uphold these ideals have been cast as criminals rather than in bronze.

A West Coast sculptor spent a year helping the two New York artists create the 4-foot-tall replica of Snowdens head, complete with his signature square glasses.

Snowden fled the US two years ago after he passed on classified documents to journalists that revealed the NSA was spying on Americans. Hes currently living in Moscow, where he is protected by temporary asylum following espionage charges from the US.

The infamous whistleblower was back in the news Monday before the statue was installed thanks to his appearance on HBOs Last Week Tonight, which aired Sunday evening.

Funnyman John Oliver sat down with the 31-year-old former government contractor for an in-depth interview last week in Moscow, where he asked him about why he did the data dump, his future plans and if Americans should stop sending racy pictures.

The good news is theres no program named The Dk Pic Program, Snowden said. The bad news is that they are still collecting everyones information, including your dk pics.

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Snowden monument erected in NYC park