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EXCLUSIVE: Public Advocate Letitia James calls for ‘Fearless Girl’ to become permanent installation on Wall Street 

EXCLUSIVE: Letitia James wants 'Fearless Girl' to be permanent
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“Fearless Girl” was planned as a week-long installation.

(JUSTIN LANE/EPA)

“Fearless Girl” might be here to stay.

Public Advocate Letitia James is calling for the inspiring statue— which depicts a young girl standing up to the charging bull that’s long been a symbol of Wall Street— to continue standing her ground as a permanent installation.

The artwork, placed there by State Street Corporation, was originally granted a weeklong permit that has now been extended to a month.

But James said that given the “huge gender gap” on corporate boards— she cited data showing nearly 60 percent of publicly traded companies have no women on their boards— the city should keep the little girl for the long haul, as a “symbol of feminism and equality.”

My two cents on Wall Street’s ‘Fearless Girl’ statue

“Fearless Girl stands as a powerful beacon, showing women — young and old— that no dream is too big and no ceiling is too high,” James wrote in a letter to Mayor de Blasio Monday.

For now, “Fearless Girl” is slated to remain where she stands until April 2, and de Blasio spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie said there were no plans to extend the statue’s permit. State Street said the statue’s long-term future hadn’t yet been determined.

“We are having ongoing conversations with the City of New York to determine the future of the statue," Anne McNally said.

NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpi

Public Advocate Letitia James thinks the artwork should become a permanent installation.

(Jefferson Siegel/New York Daily News)

But the brave girl was getting plenty of support from the people who had flocked to her side, with a crowd of about 100 people mobbing the plaza despite the cold late-afternoon weather. Tatiana Betances, 24, a paralegal from Queens, stood in a similar pose beside the sculpture to have her picture taken as they both stared down the bull.

Photo of Wall Street creep humping feminist statue goes viral

“We’re going through so much right now in this country. Look how much love she’s getting,” Betances said. “She’s not just standing there, she’s making a statement. She’s making a move for all of us, especially in front of the Wall Street bull. She’s fearless and inspiring.”

And fans of the “Fearless Girl” were hoping she wouldn’t have to back down anytime soon.

“Fearless Girl” has been quite a hit among tourists and New Yorkers.

“Fearless Girl” has been quite a hit among tourists and New Yorkers.

(Mark Lennihan/AP)

“It should be permanent. It’s about women’s leadership and the lack of it in the financial world,” said Kate Kearney, 42, a Bay Shore, Long Island resident who works in leadership training. “I have two daughters. Having a young girl standing up to the big bull of Wall Street is awesome. It says, ‘Hey girls, you can be anything.’”

“She won’t be bullied by the Wall Street bull,” Mehalia Wallace, 24, a teaching assistant from Brooklyn, said. “She’s a fearless little girl. She’s a small inspiration to all of us.”

Charging Bull has new company in bronze statue of a young girl

Women and girls weren’t alone in rooting for the statue. Torin Williams, 49, argued she was more than just a fad.

“She needs to be permanent,” the Manhattan stagehand said. “Look at what she means to all these people. The bull’s been important forever, but she’s more than just the hot item right now. She shows how important women are in society.”

While many visitors have paid their respects to the statue, this weekend a man in a suit was photographed humping the artwork— raising the ire of many in the city, include de Blasio, who deemed the slimy behavior an example of “rape culture.”

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