Environmental activists have covered the statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen with black paint.
The sculpture depicts the four animals that feature in the fairy tale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm, and is a well-known landmark in the northern German city.
Police were alerted by witnesses on Friday afternoon, and found three activists holding up posters from the Last Generation protest group in front of the bronze statue of a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster.
The police said the fire brigade was able to remove most of the paint. Criminal charges were brought against the three activists for damage to property. The police have launched an investigation.
Radio Bremen reported that the environmental activists are demanding that Bremen's centre-left mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, read out a statement from the group, which was handed over to his office on June 27, at a public press conference.
The conservative CDU in Bremen described the action as senseless vandalism. Damaging cultural monuments was detrimental to any goal, no matter how well-intentioned, the party said.
