Woman in custody after climbing Statue of Liberty on July 4th, police say

NEW YORK -- (WPIX) -- A woman who climbed the Statue of Liberty has been taken into custody after an hours long standoff, police said.

She scaled the base of the statue around 3:30 and was taken into police custody about three hours later. While on the statue, she lay by the bottom edge of the statue's robe, walked around and sat perched against the statue. Officers climbed ladders and attempted to talk her down.

Eventually, they slipped on harnesses, joined the woman on the statue base and took her into custody.

Park police and the NYPD were both on the scene for the rescue.

“NYC will be fine and the NYPD can handle anything, but our first responders certainly don't need this tonight. Please get down, ma'am,” a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said about the issue.

People on their way to Liberty Island were not being allowed to continue to the park and people already there were evacuated, according to tweets.

An NYPD helicopter was on the scene.

Protesters with Rise and Resist New York had unfurled an “Abolish ICE” banner at the statue earlier Wednesday, but the group said in a tweet that the woman's decision to climb the statue was not associated with that protest.