Amsterdam statue of young boy knocked over by truck

The statue of a young boy on the Spui in Amsterdam has been knocked over, pedestal and all. A truck crashed into the statue, called Het Lieverdje, and its hand broke off when it hit the ground, a window cleaner who saw it happen told AT5.

The small but city-famous statue is based on a Henri Knap story in Het Parool about a boy of about 10, whom he called Lieverdje, who had saved a dog that had fallen into a canal. According to Knap, the boy symbolizes the street kids of the city - always looking for mischief but still with a heart of gold.

In 1959, the initiative was started to make a statue of an Amsterdam street kid, designed by sculptor Carel Kneulman. It was placed on the Spui in the city center a year later.

According to AT5, this is not the first time the bronze statue has been knocked over. The same thing happened in 2012 - a truck backed into De Lieverdje and knocked it over, pedestal and all.

De Lieverdje has also been dressed up several times by protest groups, defaced, abducted, and even set on fire.