ICYMI ... a protester in Louisville hopped up on the historical landmark that's smack-dab in the middle of downtown with a massive crowd swarming about, and when he jumped down, he took ol' Louis' right hand with him! Literally, that piece broke clean off at the wrist.

A reporter there said the protester "made off" with the hand. It's unclear if that's entirely accurate or not -- although some of the protesters were reportedly seen passing it around and flaunting it shortly afterward -- but, in any case, the statue is currently hand-less ... and officials seem to have come up empty-handed in locating/replacing it quite yet. 👋🏽

All jokes aside, it would appear the vandalism on King Louis has caught the attention of an actual presumed blood relative of the man himself -- a guy by the name of Louis Alphonse of Bourbon ... whom, as recognized by Legitimist royalists, is the rightful successor to the French crown. Supposedly, he's a senior agnatic descendant of KLXVI ... meaning, he comes straight from the male side of the fam all the way through the 21st century.

LAB said of the defacement, "As the heir of #LouisXVI, and attached to the defense of his memory, I do hope that the damage will be repaired and that the statue will be restored. I already thank the Authorities for the measures they will take for that."

Some people are giving Louis Jr. here s**t for making a big deal about a piece of rock when there are way bigger issues at play right now. Also, people are pointing out that King Louis wasn't necessarily seen as a friend of the people back in the late 1700s -- remember, he got beheaded during the French Revolution when they did away with kings, etc.