New Year's prank: Andre Hazes statue stolen in A'dam pops up in Friesland town

The Lego statue of Andre Hazes that suddenly disappeared from Dam Square in Amsterdam early this week was found in Oldeberkoop. It was a prank by De Geitefok, the Friesland town's New Year's Eve association.

Plaatselijk Belang Oldeberkoop posted a photo on its Twitter account on Friday evening, showing members of the association with the statue. With the prank, De Geitefok wants to draw attention to the difficult coronavirus time that has gripped the Netherlands for almost two years. "We are toiling through this crisis with blood, sweat, and tears," said chairman Jan-Bart Hof. "Entrepreneurs are on the brink of drowning, and healthcare staff are overworked. We hope that 2022 will be a better year for everyone and that we can finally say goodbye to all the annoying measures."

The giant Lego statue disappeared in the night from Monday to Tuesday. A note was found on the empty spot with the text: "Corona threw a spanner in the works. Andre now has time for another performance." The statue, made by Streetart Franke, has been on Dam Square since the summer. It is an initiative of catering entrepreneur Won Yip and Rachel Hazes, the deceased singer's widow.

After the disappearance, Yip informed AT5 that he suspected a playful action. "I believe in the good of people. So to start with, give him a can of beer every fifteen minutes, and then I assume that the statue will be replaced after New Year's," said Yip.

This was not 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. That will also happen in this case, according to the association.