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Iconic Wall Street Bull Sculpture Gets Brief Taste Of Freedom

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Free at last...sort of.

After three months behind barricades the bronze sculpture of the charging bull that's been a Wall Street fixture was liberated to celebrate its birthday.

1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reports

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The bull was welcomed back Monday during a special ceremony hosted by the Italian American Museum to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the sculpture which was designed by Italian artists Arturo DiModica.

The iconic sculpture has been off limits to tourists since the first day of the Occupy Wall Street protest on Sept. 17.

Law enforcement officials were worried vandals might try to damage the stock market mascot and placed it behind barricades for its own protection.

Arthur Piccolo, chairman of the Bowling Green Association, organized the belated birthday celebration for the statue which has been on Broadway since Dec. 20, 1989 and said the barricades should be removed permanently.

"We do not barricade Rockefeller Center, we do not barricade the Statue of Liberty, we do not barricade the other great attractions in the city because we don't need to, it is not the message we want to send out," Piccolo said.

"We're from Arizona and not protesters and want to enjoy the city as it was 10 years ago when I was here," one woman told WCBS 880's Alex Silverman.

WCBS 880's Alex Silverman hears from Arthur Piccolo

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Once the ceremony was over, the metal fences came back up.

Do you think the barricades need to stay? Let us know below...

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