Why there’s a gorilla statue and 10,000 bananas on Wall Street right now

A 7-foot bronze statue of Harambe, the Cincinnati Zoo gorilla that was shot in 2016 after a young boy climbed inside its enclosure, appeared on Wall Street in New York City on Oct. 18.

The statue was placed in Bowling Green Park facing the famous Charging Bull statue according to NBC 4 in New York. The bull’s statue was surrounded by 10,000 bananas. The statue and bananas were put there by Sapien.Network as a display to show “Wall Street has become bananas, and wholly out of touch with the needs of everyday people,” according to NBC New York’s article.

Sapien.Network said the bananas would be donated to food banks and community fridges. The organization’s co-founders used Harambe as a symbol to challenge a system that, they said, “Enriches wealthy elites and leaves the average person behind.”

“Harambe is a representation of something that lets us look at more than just ourselves,” Sapien.Network’s Robert Giometti told NBC 4. “What are we aspiring to be as People?” It’s about connecting. A simple gesture of giving a banana builds community. As a society we need to come together. We can’t keep fighting to come together.”

By B.J. Bethel, WCPO.