COPENHAGEN, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Danish police are looking into a vandalism case against the country's iconic sculpture of Little Mermaid, which was doused with read paint overnight, local media reported Tuesday.
The sculpture was sprayed with red paint by animal rights activists apparently outraged over whale hunting in the country's autonomous Faroe Islands.
The culprits also left messages with red paint on the pavement in front of the statue, "Denmark, defend the whales of the Faroe Islands".
Copenhagen police were alerted early Tuesday morning after a local newspaper, Ekstra Bladet, called in and reported the vandalism, according to the English newspaper The Copenhagen Post.
Police spokesman Thomas Tarpgaard said the police are investigating the vandalism. The statue has been cleaned up by Tuesday noon.
It is not the first time that the statue has sustained attacks.
On April 24, 1964, the Little Mermaid was decapitated, with her head being sawn off and stolen, never to be found again. Again on January 6, 1998, she was beheaded for the second time. In 1984, she lost her right arm, which was returned days later by two young men.
