WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJW) – Climate activists vandalized Edgar Degas’ renowned sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington on Thursday.

The incident, captured on video, displayed two protesters smearing red and black paint over the casing of the sculpture.

Declare Emergency, a climate emergency activist organization, claimed responsibility for the protest.

One of the protesters was heard saying, “We need our leaders to take serious action, to tell us the truth about what is happening with the climate.”

The National Gallery of Art told The Hill that the sculpture was removed and will undergo damage assessment from the museum’s conservation team.