Anonymous artists put up statue of whistleblower Edward Snowden in New York

American dissident Snowden immortalised for his leaking of classified US government files A group of anonymous artists have paid tribute to American spy-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden by putting up a statue in his honour. The four-foot bronze statue was placed in a New York park overnight on Monday. The idea for celebrating Snowden, who leaked thousands of classified US government files, came from two New York guerilla artists who worked with a West Coast sculptor to create the finished piece. Just hours later the statue of Snowden, who lives in exile in Russia, was removed by a team of city workers. Snowden is a polarising figure in the US, regarded by some as a hero, but by others as a traitor.