Grand futile gestures are as American as apple pie. So a group that calls itself Rise and Resist decided to give it a go by unfurling a banner at the Statue of Liberty that read “Abolish ICE.” This was when Trump’s family separation and zero tolerance immigration were the outrage of the day.

The earlier protest involved members of Rise and Resist, a group formed after the 2016 presidential election, who hung a banner calling for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished. Members of the group, angered by the Trump administration’s immigration policies, called the agency a “threat to our liberty and way of life.”

What they managed to accomplish was an evacuation of Liberty Island, in the neighborhood of 4,500 people from around the world who came to visit the Statue. 

“It is their one and only chance to come here,” [National Parks spokesman Jerry Willis] said. “Unfortunately, we had to clear the island.”

But one person involved in the protest decided to take it a step further.

The woman started climbing shortly after 3 p.m. on what officials described as one of the busiest days of the year for the national monument. National Park Service officials said that more than 20,000 tourists typically visit the monument each July 4.

Throughout the afternoon, the woman, identified by federal officials as Therese Okoumou, waved what looked like a T-shirt and reclined in a crease of the statue’s robe. The copper is only about one-tenth of an inch thick, and officials feared she could damage the statue.

Known as “Pat,” the woman was there for the banner, but not part of the group. She climbed the base and sat at the foot of the statue. Why? According to Jay Walker, an organizer of the protest, said they had no idea she was going to do this.

“She’s a free citizen in the world — it’s a choice she made,” Mr. Walker said. “I think the choice she made is certainly bringing more attention to the overall protest.”

He added, “We don’t condemn her for the choice she made, and we’re going to do anything we can to support her.”

So you didn’t hear about this protest? You knew nothing about “free citizen of the world” Pat Okoumou’s bold, brave climb? If you weren’t one of the 4,500 people whose one chance to visit the Statue of Liberty was blown by this grand futile gesture of insignificant civil disobedience, why would you? Why would anyone?

The Rise and Resist group sent out a press release yesterday, trying desperately to “raise consciousness” and catch some interest. In a moment of weakness, I read it.

New York, NY — This FRIDAY, August 3, 2018 around 10am, Patricia Okoumou, the woman who bravely scaled the Statue of Liberty on July 4, will go to court to face charges that resulted from her protest. U.S. Attorney Berman appears to be intent to bring full charges, but Patricia is fighting back.

She has launched a petition calling for the U.S. attorney to drop the charges and focus their attention on the source of the problem: family detentions and Trump’s anti-immigrant policy traumatizing children and families at our borders. Full petition is linked here.

It’s unclear how one differentiates between “bravely scaled” and any other type of scaled. Maybe fear of heights? But the sacrifice of adjectives to the cause are the least of Okoumou’s concerns. Engaging in civil disobedience, no matter how pointless, is a time-honored American tradition. What makes it civil disobedience is the willingness to suffer the consequences.

Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, is probably not personally involved in this huge case, but because this happened at a National Park, the case landed in his office. What “full charges” he’s bringing isn’t stated, but no federal prosecution is fun. They’re unlikely to result in a level 34 sentence, but still.

Okoumou, however, is “fighting back.” There isn’t much of a factual dispute, although there might be a claim of diminished responsibility, but it seems unlikely she’ll pursue that direction. Instead, she’s taking the “petition” route. Eradicate the “real” evil rather than prosecute a protester who disrupted a visit to Liberty Island by 4,500 people and might have damaged the statue.

So what if this isn’t how it works. For someone who believes that climbing the base of the Statue of Liberty is going to make the world a better place, collecting signatures on a petition seems eminently reasonable. Plus, Okoumou is now a speaker, as her actions clearly mean she has something of value to say.

As part of her ongoing fight against Trump’s devastating border policies, TOMORROW, July 31, 2018 at 10:30 am, Patricia Okoumou will join protestors with Rise and Resist to deliver remarks outside of an event featuring Vice President Mike Pence and Homeland Security Secretary Neilsen. Hosted by the Families Belong Together, the protest will take place outside of a conference hosted by the agency in New York City.

Does she deserve to be prosecuted with “full charges”? Of course. That’s the nature of civil disobedience. It doesn’t count without consequences, and how else can she be a martyr and go on a speaking tour to crowds of tens. But Berman’s office should go easy, maybe even nolle the case, as anyone who suffers such a tenuous grasp of reality has to already endure a life of grand futile gestures where the only outcome was making 4,500 people miserable for the sake of her righteous narcissism. Isn’t that punishment enough?