A monument to Edward Snowden was erected in Fort Greene on Monday morning.Photo: Justine Williams <\/p>\n
Even a fake Edward Snowden cant spend a day in NYC before getting carted away by authorities. <\/p>\n
A 100-pound bronze bust of the infamous whistleblower was erected early Monday morning on top of Fort Greene Parks Prison Ship Martyrs monument, which pays homage to Revolutionary War soldiers. <\/p>\n
Two anonymous artists took it upon themselves to modernize the monument by sneaking into the park at 4 a.m. and adhering Snowdens plaster head to the top of a pillar. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
The artists worked with a West Coast sculptor for a year to create the 4-foot-tall replica. They devoted a lot of time to matching the monuments original aesthetic and figuring out a way to seamlessly adhere it in case city officials removed it. <\/p>\n
Their attention to detail proved invaluable to the Parks Department, who raced to the scene and immediately covered the statue with a blue tarp. <\/p>\n
Workers spent at least two hours strategizing how to remove the $30,000 statue and a plastic plaque bearing Snowdens name in block letters before taking both down just after 2 p.m, leaving behind a thin layer of glue on the monument. <\/p>\n
The Parks Department didnt immediately respond to questions from The Post as to the statues future, but the NYPD did confirm it was investigating the incident. <\/p>\n
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