A group of tourists caused outrage and damage in Brussels on Saturday when they climbed on a famous statue and broke it. The statue, known as Manneken Pis, depicts a little boy urinating into a fountain and is one of the best-known symbols of the city.
According to witnesses, the tourists were drunk and wanted to take selfies with the statue. They ignored the signs and barriers that protect the monument and climbed on it, causing it to fall and break. The police arrived at the scene and arrested the culprits, who will face charges of vandalism and public intoxication.
The mayor of Brussels, Philippe Close, condemned the incident and said that the statue is a part of the city’s heritage and identity. He also said that the city will repair the statue as soon as possible and restore it to its original place.
The statue of Manneken Pis was created in 1619 by Jérôme Duquesnoy the Elder and has been stolen or damaged several times throughout its history. It has a wardrobe of around one thousand different costumes that are changed regularly according to the occasion.