Photo: Deng Zijun/GT

 

Danish police said Monday they have not found anyone responsible for vandalizing the country's most famous statue with Hong Kong protesters' slogans. 

Unknown vandals scrawled "Free Hong Kong" in red on the rock upon which the Little Mermaid perches. 

The same slogan was painted in smaller white text next to the red. 

 "As far as we know, cleaning off the paint is ongoing and the local police have started investigation," Feng Ye, marketing manager of the Scandinavian Tourist Board (Denmark & Norway), told the Global Times. 

Police searched for clues with flashlights and a dog after the pre-dawn vandalism was reported, the Associated Press reported, but no one has been apprehended. 

Of course the incident would have "a negative influence," Feng said.

After all, this was not the first time the statue was vandalized, Feng noted. 

It's an easy target as the statue is situated at the waterside on the Langelinie promenade, an unfenced open space. 

As to who vandalized the statue, some internet users defended the Hong Kong protesters by pointing fingers at tourists from the Chinese mainland without any evidence. 

But many others disagree since the protesters in Hong Kong have already vandalized many public facilities. Twitter user "BradHook" said "HK protesters vandalize everything." 

Another user "Basilio" posted "This is just getting out hand. I don't know what these protesters are still fighting for." 

In November, buildings at Boston University were daubed with slogans that support Hong Kong protests. 

The 107-year-old bronze statue in Denmark, which depicts the mermaid of 19th century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the same name, is Denmark's most famous landmark and popular with Chinese tourists. 

More than 1 million tourists visit the Little Mermaid every year.

In 2010, the statue left Denmark for the first time and was exhibited as the centerpiece of Denmark's official pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai for six months.