Mario Lemieux Statue Vandalized Outside PPG Paints Arena During George Floyd Protests

Downtown Pittsburgh was the site of one of the most notorious protests in the country following the death of George Floyd, and even statues of former NHL immortals aren't safe from people trying to make their point about police brutality and corruption.

Outside of PPG Paints arena, a statue of Pittsburgh Penguins legend Mario Lemieux was defaced by protestors, as the world "rebel" was sprayed across the statue in red graffiti.

While the paint itself will likely be scrubbed clean by Allegheny County within the next few days, the fact that protesters were willing to deface the statue of a Pittsburgh legend shows the lengths they are willing to go to if it means they will finally be heard.

In addition to the "rebel" message across the actual statue, someone else spray painted "it is right to rebel" beneath it.

Hopefully the protests in Pittsburgh remain peaceful, and acts like this don't cause an already fractured relationship between civilians and police to become even more problematic.