FORT GREENE — They want their bust back.
A trio of anonymous artists who illegally erected a bust of Edward Snowden in Fort Greene Park last week are demanding the NYPD return the artwork, which was confiscated just hours after they installed it.
The bust is currently sitting in the basement of the 88th Precinct in Clinton Hill, according to lawyers for the artist group.
Just before the work was confiscated by police on April 6, Parks Department workers had covered it up with a tarp.
The bust was installed to start a conversation surrounding whistleblowers like Snowden, who was charged with leaking classified government documents, according to the group.
The artists, who live in New York City, have chosen to remain anonymous in order to avoid arrest, according to their lawyer Ronald Kuby.
"It was always meant to be a gift to the city and, in turn, the public," they wrote in a statement. "Significant time, artistry and financial resources were poured into this statue to create a piece worthy of public display."
"We hope New York City will release the statue so it may continue to spark healthy conversation about issues central to our freedom," they said.
If returned, the artists plan to enter the artwork into the Parks Department's "Art in the Parks" program so that it can be legally displayed in a city park, Kuby said.
The NYPD declined to comment.