“We feel that Snowden’s actions really continue that story,” said the artists. “It is built upon a set of ideals to live freely, not be confined or surveilled or monitored by your government. You can’t have freedom of expression to pursue liberty if you feel like you’re doing it under a watchful eye.”

While others have created Snowden statues before, they’ve primarily been mobile installations. The sculpture that stood in Fort Greene Park was meant to be permanent. The artists had hoped the city would have considering leaving the sculpture where it was, but they were prepared for the inevitable.

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