Greta Thunberg mural in Edmonton defaced, days after emerging

Greta Thunberg mural defaced in Edmonton A mural of climate activist Greta Thunberg in Edmonton has been vandalized days after it was painted.

EDMONTON -- A graffiti mural of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg that emerged in Edmonton days ago has been defaced.

The artwork, a portrait of the 16-year-old against a bright blue background, was painted on a free wall between 94 Street and Commonwealth Station.

The eyes in the portrait were blacked out, and a slur and a message telling Thunberg to leave Canada were written over top in French.

The mural captured the city's attention earlier in the week when a video by its believed creator was shared on Twitter.

Before it was defaced, the mural read "Thank you Beaver Hills Warriors," a reference to the grassroots environmental group that helped lead Friday's march in Edmonton, and "Thank you Greta."

The artist reponded to the changes on Twitter Sunday:

Thousands of people joined Thunberg for the rally in Edmonton. The teen visited several Indigenous communities in northern Alberta later in the week, accompanied at one point by a BBC documentary crew.