Pranksters return "kidnapped" Andre Hazes Lego statue to Amsterdam

The New Year's Eve Association De Geitefok returned the lego statue of Andre Hanze to the Dam square on Saturday. The group took the statue in the middle of the night shortly after Christmas as a stunt to raise awareness for the impact of the coronavirus crisis in various sectors. "We are toiling through this crisis with blood, sweat, and tears," said Geitefok chair Jan-Bart Hof.

The Geitefok took the statue to Oldeberkoop where they posted a picture of the 'kidnapped' statue on social media.

On Sunday, Andre Hazes was back in its usual place and the pranksters brought a few beer bootles as compensation to catering entrepreneur Won Yip. He, together with Andre Hazes' widow Rachel Hazes, started the initiative to have to lego statue of Andre Hazes on the Dam.

Yip was not angry with the pranksters. "He's here again. Great, right? Again a piece of happiness back in the city. We could use that," Yip told AT5.

After a few days, the lego statue will leave the Dam square and take shelter in Yip's warm office, "Because now, it's too cold for him," Yip joked.

It had not been De Geitefok's first New Year's Eve prank. Previously, the association stole the Olympic rings from the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam. They also took a large ball from the KNVB head office. Both were later returned, De Geitefok said.

Andre Hazes is na logeerpartij in Oldeberkoop weer thuis op de Dam in Amsterdam https://t.co/twRlaH6YEn

— Leeuwarder Courant (@lc_nl) January 8, 2022