Edward Snowden has made more headlines over the past 24 hours than he usually does.
First, political satirist John Oliver aired an interview with the whistleblower on HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" Sunday night. A day later, a statue of Snowden was secretly installed in a Brooklyn park.
According to Mashable, the bust of Snowden was installed at Fort Greene Park, "a site built to honor more than 11,000 American prisoners of war who died aboard British ships during the American Revolutionary War." The story was exclusively first reported on by Animal New York, which released a video on the statue's installation.
The artists, whose identities have not been revealed, told Mashable the location makes Snowden "a continuation of a story that began at the beginning of this country."
"We feel that Snowden's actions really continue that story," they added. "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."
Although it took a year to make, the statue may not stay in Fort Greene Park for long. It is not authorized to be there, so the New York Parks Department has acted quickly to cover it up. The "Snowden" nameplate has already been removed and the bust is currently covered by a blue tarp.
The artists are hoping the statue permanently stays at the park. In a statement, they compared the bust to the famous Charging Bull statue that was at first illegally installed on Wall Street.
"NYC has a long history of welcoming artists and the challenging discourse their works usher in. In keeping with this tradition, we hope New York will embrace and protect this piece, much as when the “Wall Street Bull” was granted a permanent public home after its guerilla placement," they said. "Even though it's already on it's way towards being removed, the possibility exists for the city to make the piece available for public viewing in a sanctioned way.
"Our additional hope is this gift has brought a renewed cultural relevance to the space, inspiring more visitors to ponder the sacrifices made for their freedoms and their responsibility to ensure our liberties last long into the future."
