‘Fearless Girl’ Statue to Stay in Financial District (for Now)

“Fearless Girl,” the wildly popular statue that has spent the last few weeks staring down the financial district’s well-known “Charging Bull,” has received a new lease on life. Originally scheduled to be removed next week, it will now remain in place until early 2018, officials said on Monday.

“Fearless Girl” was created by the sculptor Kristen Visbal and erected in Bowling Green, a small park, by the financial firm State Street Global Advisors in honor of International Women’s Day in March.

The statue was an immediate hit, drawing crowds who snapped selfies or stood alongside the bronze child and mimicked her pose: hands on her hips, slight smile on her face, and her skirt and ponytail seeming to blow in the breeze.

Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York stood beside the statue during a news conference on Monday as he announced the decision to extend its stay until the next International Women’s Day, on March 8, 2018. He called the statue a symbol of “standing up to fear, standing up to power, being able to find in yourself the strength to do what’s right.”

Mr. de Blasio said the presidency of Donald J. Trump and the nationwide women’s rights marches the day after his inauguration had given the statue a special power.

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