The Guardia Urbana de Badalona (North Barcelona) arrested this afternoon a man who had just vandalized the emblematic statue of Anís del Mono, on the promenade, next to the Pont del Petroli.

The man has gone to the statue and has begun to spray it with a red spray before being stopped by the agents, who have been alerted by the neighbors.

The mayor, Xavier Garcia Albiol, has congratulated the agents for their quick action and has suggested that the detainee “must be unbalanced”. He also announced that “we are going to restore it immediately.”

The statue is a bronze reproduction that pays homage to the historic Anís del Mono brand, from Badalona. It is a work by the local artist, Susana Ruiz Blanch, which she began to create in 2011.