It is so commonly the answer languages acquired the specific word "sabotage" to describe it.

It is so commonly we also have the word "murder" to describe murder.

Does it make murder right? Certainly not.

You can deface them nondestructively. Just tape a piece of paper over them.

If nothing else it'll keep your lawyer with food on his table.

it is in this case though, if they're too expensive to maintain they'll stop installing them

In the past I’ve used a flipper zero to lower the displayed price of gas on their signage and then file a complaint with the department of weights and measures. One gas station was closed for repeated violations.