A ‘Refugees Welcome’ Banner Was Just Unfurled On The Statue Of Liberty

Activists took to one of America’s most enduring icons to publicly fight the anti-immigration doctrines introduced by the Trump administration during its first month in office.

Accessing the public observation deck at the top of the statue’s base, protestors hung a 20-foot by 3-foot banner off the deck’s edge which read simply “REFUGEES WELCOME.”

A group known as Alt Lady Liberty has taken credit for the act and posted this tweet:

The group also emailed out the following statement:

"Almost all Americans have descendants from somewhere else. Immigrants and refugees make this country great. And turning away refugees, like we did to Anne Frank, does not make us great. Refugees are welcome here, Muslims are welcome here and immigrants are welcome here.

And it's not just our ancestors. Every American knows an immigrant or a refugee. We wanted to send a reminder about America when we're at our best -- the country that's a beacon of freedom to the world, built by immigrants. Walling off countries or entire religions is against our values. That's what the Statue of Liberty stands for."

The act is illegal, as hanging anything off the landmark is strictly prohibited, but that didn’t keep like-minded tourists from snapping selfies that prominently displayed a sentiment near to their hearts. Shortly after the banner was hung it was removed by Park Rangers who oversee the attraction.

Authorities have stated that an investigation is underway to ascertain the identities of those behind the act.