Park advocates, artists and a lawyer are calling on the city to return a piece of artwork that they think should be viewed by the public.

As News 12 previously reported, the website ANIMALNewYork says that a trio of artists and some helpers erected the bust of Edward Snowden at the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument on April 6. Police and Parks Department officials removed the bust less than 24 hours later.

Following its removal, a hologram of Snowden briefly appeared at the site.

The group says the bust is a valuable piece of art that is collecting dust at a police precinct. They say that a local gallery has agreed to temporarily display the work.

The group is also applying for the Parks Department's Art in the Park initiative. The program allows artists to legally showcase their work for a period of time in city parks.

"All property that is confiscated for investigatory purposes may be returned to the rightful owner after the investigation is completed and if claimed by the owner who produces proper identification" said the NYPD in a statement.

The artists' lawyer says that he wrote a letter to NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton defending why the sculpture should be returned to Fort Greene Park.

Snowden made headlines for leaking classified information from the National Security Agency, making multiple secret global surveillance programs public. While hailed as a hero by some, others have deemed Snowden a traitor.