Stockholm - The iconic Little Mermaid statue in Danish capital
Copenhagen was found covered in blue paint Wednesday, the second such
incident in less than a month, police and local media said.
Spray-painted text on the ground near the 1.25-metre-high statue
located in Copenhagen harbour "Befri Abdulle" (Free Abdulle).
It was not clear who was referenced.
Police told dpa they were investigating the incident, and searching
for a blond-haired girl aged about 17 spotted by a passerby, but had
not made any arrests.
Local authorities have dispatched a crew to remove the paint.
On May 30, the statue was painted red in what was seen as a protest
against whaling in the semi-autonomous Faroe Islands, which are part
of Denmark. No arrests have been made in that case either.
Carl Christian Ebbesen, a councillor for the Danish People's Party,
said it was necessary to install a surveillance camera at the scene
to deter vandalism, public broadcaster DR reported Wednesday.
The statue was unveiled in 1913 and inspired by one of the fairytales
penned by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.
Over the years the Little Mermaid statue has been targeted by various
vandals and protesters who have painted it, chopped off its head and
an arm and draped it in a burqa.