French lawmakers are demanding that the Statue of Liberty be returned to France, where the United States gave Americans in the 1880s.
Politician Raphaël Glucksmann on the left of the center commented at a recent convention for his party, Place Publique.
“We're going to say, 'Please give the Statue of Liberty back' to the Americans who fired the researchers to demand scientific freedom from the Americans who chose along with the tyrant,” he told supporters, according to French newspaper Le Monde.
“We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you're lightly splashing it. So here you'll be fine at home,” he added.
A giant misfire World War I bomb found in a crowded residential area in Paris
French parliamentarians and co-chairman of “Place Publique” political party Raphaël Glucksmann will give a speech at Place Publique's Congress held in Paris on March 16, 2025. (Getty Images)
France presented the statue of freedom to America on July 4, 1884, and then President Glover Cleveland celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in New York City on October 28, 1886.
The statue was designed by French sculptor Auguste Barsoldi, weighs approximately 450,000 pounds and is 305 feet tall.
A much smaller copy of the statue is on display at Alle des Saigness, a small island on the Seine River in Paris. The Lady Liberty Replica was presented to France by the United States in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.
The Statue of Liberty was originally presented to America by France in the 19th century. (istock)
Glucksmann, a solid supporter of Ukraine in the war with Russia, has made President Donald Trump a bread for pulling back support for the country in the fight against Moscow's invasion since February 2022.
He also criticized Trump for cutting federal funding to US universities and research institutions. This is a move that led to the French government's initiative aimed at bringing a part of them to France.
Trump said he would talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday
The Statue of Liberty was designed by French sculptor Auguste Barthordi. (AP photo/Adam Hunger)
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“The second thing to Americans is if you want to fire the best researchers, if you want to fire all those who have made your country a major force in the world through their sense of freedom and innovation, their doubt and their preference for research, we welcome them,” Glucksmann said.
Glucksmann also criticized members of the French parliament as “fan club” of Trump, senior adviser to lead government efficiency, and billionaire Elon Musk.
