Edward Snowden Artists Seek Confiscated Sculpture Back From NYPD

A 4-feet tall bust of Edward Snowden was exhibited for a few hours last week in Fort Green Park in Brooklyn before the city quickly covered it up and the police confiscated it. The artists are seeking to have the sculpture returned.  (Photo: Aymann Ismail/ANIMALNewYork)

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 14,  2015 

Community to NYPD:  Return the Snowden Bust! • 

Calls On The City To Return Edward Snowden 

Sculpture Confiscated In Fort Green Park

WHO:     Civil rights and criminal defense attorney Ronald L. Kuby,   NYC Park Advocates president Geoffrey Croft will be joined by free speech supporters. 

WHAT:  Press conference calling on the City to immediately return the bust of NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden confiscated by police in Fort Greene Park.  The artists plan to submit an application to legally exhibit the sculpture through the Parks Department's Art in the Parks initiative,  a 45-year-old program that exhibits artwork temporarily in city parks throughout the city.  A local gallery has also agreed to temporarily exhibit the work. 

A letter from Ron Kuby to Police Commissioner William J. Bratton, and a statement from the artists will be available.

WHERE:  Fort Green Park - Prison Ship Martyrs Monument 

WHEN:   Tuesday, April 14th - at 10: 00 a.m. 

BACKDROP:   Supporters gather against the backdrop where the bust was placed and subsequently removed by city officials.

BACKGROUND:      A 100-pound bust of Mr. Snowden was erected by three artists just before dawn near the park's Prison Ship Martyrs Monument on Monday April 6th on one of the three empty pedestals that face the Revolutionary War monument.    The city quickly covered up the statue and police confiscated it.  The bust remains in police custody today.  The artists hope the sculpture is returned so it may "continue to spark healthy conversations about issues central to our freedoms, " they state.



Four parks workers helped cover up the work with a blue tarp so that the media could not get a look at it while they prepared to remove it.  (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) 

NYC Park Advocates Inc. is a non-partisan watchdog group dedicated to improving public parks, restoring public funding, increasing public recreation programs, expanding open space and accessibility, and achieving the equitable distribution of these vital services in New York City for all. We are the only park advocacy group dedicated to all City, State and Federal parkland in New York City. For more information please visit us at http://nycparkadvocates.org