From YahooNews:

Nearly 80 stolen garden gnomes discovered in central France

LIMOGES, France (AFP) - Some 79 garden gnomes snatched by a so-called gnome liberation group, were discovered along the banks of a stream in the central Limousin region, police said.

The gnomes were hidden in some underbrush with a banner that read, “gnome mistreated, gnome liberated,” police said.

A national garden gnome liberation operation was announced on the group’s website in honor of the November 1 French holiday, All Saint’s Day.

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