Edward Snowden bust in the NYPD 88th Precinct, New York

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The statue of Edward Snowden, dubbed Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument 2.0 by its creators, was a temporary, unauthorized public installation of the American whistleblower who leaked classified information from the National Security Agency and faced federal charges as a result. The bronze-like statue was placed in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, New York City, on April 6, 2015, attached to a Doric column on the perimeter of the park's Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument, a memorial and crypt honoring over 11,500 American prisoners of war who died in the American Revolution while confined on British prison ships. The artists, three anonymous individuals and their helpers, wore white construction helmets and reflective vests, mimicking Parks Department workers, as they installed the statue early in the morning on April 6. The NYC Parks officials covered it with a blue tarpaulin and bound it with rope at 12:30 pm that day, removing it an hour later. Some saw this placement as an act of vandalism in support of a "traitor," while others disagreed. Investigators from the New York City Police Department's Intelligence Division reportedly gathered DNA evidence and examined other clues to determine the identity of the artist or artists behind the statue. A spokesperson for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation stated, "The erection of any unapproved structure or artwork in a city park is illegal." Some passersby were annoyed at the covering of the statue.