We kid, but in all seriousness ... check out what Wall Street's Charging Bull looks like right now in Manhattan's Financial District -- the bronze sculpture is completely covered in a blue tarp, from horns to hooves.

There's no official explanation out as to why this happened, but the reason seems to be obvious -- especially considering what's been happening with the stock market this past week.

Of course, we're talking about the frenzy with Gamestop, AMC and other stocks that were restricted on exchanges like Robinhood ... which was seen as a corrupt move by normies who were making a bundle against hedge fund managers trying to bet on shorts.

There was widespread outcry online, with folks accusing Robinhood of being in cahoots with these hedge fund runners -- something Robinhood denied, BTW. The chatter wasn't just digital though ... it literally trickled into the streets with protests over the weekend.

People gathered at the Bull with signage that read "TAX WALL ST TRADES" among other messages. There are even photos circulating that show the Bull getting vandalized with blue tape, with phrases like "#HoldTheLine" and "WBC" etched in in permanent marker.

Basically, there's been a lot of activity there these past few days -- and it looks like the authorities have responded in kind ... both with man power and now ... with plastic.