The Statue of Liberty has fallen – no, not THAT one
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The Statue of Liberty has fallen – but not the one you might be thinking of.
A now-viral video captures the final seconds of a 35m replica in Brazil of the iconic American monument as it begins to sway, and then abruptly keels over.
It pitches forward, tears itself free from its pedestal, and finally plunges into a department store’s carpark.
Its raised arm – still clutching the Torch of Enlightenment – strikes the ground first, shattering on impact.
A heartbeat later, its crowned head follows, absorbing the rest of the fall.
The statue – built in 2020 as a landmark for Brazilian retailer Havan’s department store in Guaiba city – was toppled by gale-force winds that had been buffeting the state of Rio Grande do Sul, according to local reports.
It happened on Dec 15, at around 3pm.
No injuries were reported. Emergency services cordoned off the area following the collapse, and debris was cleared several hours later.
“Since the first moment, we’ve been on the streets following the situation closely,” Guaiba Mayor Marcelo said in a Facebook post.
The state authorities said the incident occurred amid severe weather that caused injuries and property damage elsewhere in the region.
The real Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor – dedicated in 1886 – is one of the most recognisable monuments in the world and a longstanding symbol of freedom and democracy.
It was a gift from France to the United States, commemorating the centennial of American independence and celebrating the two nations’ shared ideals of liberty and republican government.
It was designed by French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, with its internal framework engineered by civil engineer Gustave Eiffel.
Over time, the Statue of Liberty has become closely associated with immigration, having greeted millions of immigrants arriving in the US by sea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The sight of Liberty falling – albeit a replica – in Brazil inevitably sparked commentaries on the current political climate in the US.
On the YouTube channel of British online newspaper The Independent, viewers left comments such as “a true sign of things to come”; “as if Trump’s America needed a metaphor”; and “a sign America is falling”.
Others were tongue-in-cheek, like this comment from one user: “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause”.
For months, US federal agents have made thousands of arrests in cities across the US in what the Trump administration says is an effort to crack down on crime and illegal immigration.
Immigration and border officials have executed attention-grabbing operations targeting Democrat-led cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.
Critics say the operations are unnecessary, test the limits of the president’s legal authority, and spread fear in immigrant communities.
