Denmark’s Little Mermaid statue has been painted red in an act of vandalism.
The Little Mermaid statue has been defaced by animal rights activists that are protesting over whaling practices in the country. The protesters that were behind the vandalism also left the following message on the shore near the statue.
“Danmark, defend the whales of the Faroe Islands.”
Police in Copenhagen, which is where the Little Mermaid statue is located, are currently investigating the case of vandalism. A member of the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says that they aren’t responsible for the act. However, the person said that they agree with the message that was left behind.
Members of a cleanup crew are already working to restore the Little Mermaid statue to its former glory. The statue has been the target of vandalism before with culprits cutting off its head and one of its arms. Police are hoping to use video footage to find those responsible for the most recent case of vandalism, reports The Local Denmark.
The Little Mermaid statue located in Denmark was first set up in 1913. It was created by Edvard Eriksen in honor of Hans Christian Andersen. Anderson is the Danish author behind the story of The Little Mermaid, as well as many other fairy tales, such as Thumbelina and The Ugly Duckling.
“National treasures like this should be left well alone,” Carl Christian Ebbesen, the head of Copenhagen Municipality’s culture and leisure committee, told The Local Denmark. “Regardless of whether it’s vandalism of politically motivated, this is well out of line.”
