Vandals splashed paint on the Olympic countdown clock early Thursday morning. (Vancouver Police Department)

Three people face mischief charges after Vancouver's Olympic countdown clock was vandalized again.

Const. Jana McGuinness of Vancouver police said early Thursday someone called 911 to say three people were throwing paint on the large digital clock.

A short time later, two 19-year-old Vancouver men and a 20 year-old Vancouver woman were picked up by police a few blocks away.

The suspects had paint on their clothing and hands at the time they were arrested just after midnight. All three are facing charges of mischief in relation to this act of vandalism.

McGuinness said she did not have a damage estimate or know if the suspects were connected with any protest groups.

Investigators were looking into any possible links to similar incidents, but the suspects were not known to police, said McGuinness.

The clock was hit once before by a paint-wielding vandal.

In April 2007,Garvin Snyder of Vancouver was arrested and charged with painting "Free Betty" eight times on the new clock, in support of 78-year-old protester Betty Krawczyk, who was jailed for blockading a new highway development on the route between Vancouver and Whistler.

Snyder later pleaded guilty to mischief.