The painting with which housemates Joost and Riemer were walking down the street this afternoon did not fit in their own house in De Pijp. Friends of theirs who live near the Vondelpark did have room for the artwork, so Joost and Riemer brought it there on foot. The fastest route was across Museumplein, past the Rijksmuseum. And they knew that. They were stopped by three agents who suspected they were dealing with two art thieves.
“We had that thing for a while in the Dusartstraat,” says Joost AT5. “But it was actually much too big for our house. Friends of ours who recently started living anti-squat in Roemer Visscherstraat have much more space for it and wanted it. This afternoon I therefore brought the painting to Riemer together with my housemate. to them.”
Police van
The two assumed in advance that they would have a lot of attention. “A framer on our corner already said something about it, later some other people on the street also joked about it. They asked if we were going to the Rijksmuseum with it. When we walked past the Rijksmuseum we saw a police van there, but we kept did not take into account for a second that that van was there for us. We were not approached by the police at all on Museumplein.”
“I actually understand that they stopped us. You will only be the one agent who lets two art thieves walk”
When the two arrived at the Vondelpark, they saw the van again. “There was still no reason to think that the van was there in front of us. But then three officers got out and approached us. They told us that they had seen us walking with the painting near the Museumplein and they asked what our story was,” says Joost with a laugh.
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ID card
“We thought it was hilarious ourselves. One of the officers couldn’t suppress a small laugh either. Still, I also had the feeling that they found it a bit embarrassing. But I actually understand that they stopped us. being the one cop who lets two art thieves go.”
It soon became clear that it was not a stolen painting. Joost and Riemer still had to show their ID card, but then they can continue on their way.
The painting is now hanging:
