A councillor has slammed 'racist cowards' after the mural of George Floyd in the Northern Quarter was vandalised again.
The portrait of the US security guard, who died in Minneapolis after being forcibly held down by police officers in May last year, was targeted in the early hours of Friday.
Street artist Akse created the tribute in Stevenson Square in the weeks that followed his death.
Councillor Jon-Connor Lyons, who represents the Piccadilly ward on Manchester city council, said the mural was daubed with graffiti by a 'racist vandal'.
It's understood to have happened at 5.30am.
A man is said to have been spotted by council CCTV operators and chased by police officers through the city centre.
He was subsequently 'caught', the councillor said.
Coun Lyons said on Twitter: "Earlier this morning, police officers gave chase to another racist vandal who decided to come in the dead of night to attack the George Floyd memorial.
"The man was spotted on CCTV and was chased by police through the city centre and was caught.
"Thank you to GMP for their vigilance!
"These racist vandals all come in the dead of night - they are cowards.
"They know themselves how shameful it is what they are doing, attacking a memorial of a man killed by police brutality, but obviously have to do it in the dead of night. Racist cowards the lot of them."
The mural has been covered up.
It's understood it was daubed with an offensive word.
Coun Lyons told the Manchester Evening News : "These racists will never win in our city. We are an inclusive, tolerant city with Mancunians who have heritage from across world.
City centre councillor Pat Karney tweeted: "Another disgraceful racist attack on it at 5.30am this morning.
"Brilliant work by the council's CCTV and GMP caught the violator."
The Manchester Evening News has contacted Greater Manchester Police for comment.
Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man, was filmed gasping and saying 'I can't breathe' as a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
He died soon afterwards, leaving behind his family - including two daughters, one aged six and one aged 22.
Video footage sparked global protests through the Black Lives Matter campaign, with demonstrations held across Greater Manchester.
