Artists demanding cops return Snowden bust

Bring us the head of Edward Snowden!

The anonymous artists who constructed the Snowden bust that was stealthily erected and then confiscated by authorities in Brooklyns Fort Greene Park are now demanding that cops hand over the statue.

The police have no right to keep the sculpture, said civil-rights lawyer Ron Kuby, who says he is representing the three unidentified masterminds. The statue itself is not contraband ... While the artists did not follow the guidelines for the Arts in the Park program, the statue itself more than qualifies for entry into the Arts in the Park program.

Parks Department employees remove the bust at Fort Greene Park.Photo: Gabriella Bass

The 4-foot-tall bust, which is made of a sculpting material known as hydrocal, was confiscated on April 6 just hours after it was first spotted atop the parks Prison Ship Martyrs war monument, which pays homage to Revolutionary War soldiers.

The artists sneaked into the park at around 4 a.m. and placed the sculpture on top of a pillar without being noticed.

Speaking Tuesday at the site, Kuby was joined by Geoffrey Croft, president of NYC Park Advocates, as they blasted the NYPD and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton for removing the 100-pound bust, which is a tribute to the 31-year-old National Security Agency leaker.

As the artists behind this work, we hope New York City will release the statue so it may continue to spark healthy conversations about issues central to our freedoms, the purported artists said in a statement that was read by Croft.

By releasing our sculpture, the NYPD has an amazing opportunity to show it protects not only its people, but also honors the citys long history as a benchmark for creative expression and free thinking, the statement said.

Kuby also showed supporters a letter that he said he had sent to the Bratton, urging him to release the sculpture.

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Artists demanding cops return Snowden bust