Who is popular today?

Red oil paint has been splashed across the bronze statue of British explorer Capt. James Cook that overlooks the Inner Harbour.

It’s unclear when the vandalism happened or who is responsible, but City of Victoria crews were called in Thursday morning to remove the red oil paint, which was splashed across the legs and right hand that holds a compass. Red paint also stained the concrete below and a boom was set up to contain any oil runoff.

No one has claimed responsibility for the vandalism. This summer, as Black Lives Matter and anti-Black racism protests took place across the world, statues of explorers, seen as symbols of colonialism, and Confederate generals in the U.S. have been vandalized or torn down.

In June, the statue of Capt. George Vancouver that stands outside Vancouver City Hall was vandalized with blue paint.

The Captain Cook statue, which faces the Fairmont Empress hotel, was commissioned by the Victoria Environmental Enhancement Society and unveiled by former B.C. premier Bill Bennett on July 12, 1976 to mark the 200th anniversary of Cook’s departure from Plymouth, England, on the voyage that brought him to Vancouver Island.

Cook sailed along the west coast of Canada during his third voyage of discovery in 1778, anchoring in Nootka Sound while seeking a northern route from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Cook was killed at 51 in 1779 during a skirmish with Hawaiian warriors.