Thick red liquid, believed to be sauce, has been thrown over the memorial dedicate to Daphne Caruana Galizia at the foot of the Great Siege Monument in Valletta.

The flowers, candles and photos placed by protesters at the last vigil to commemorate the slain journalist have remained untouched on specific orders by Prime Minister Robert Abela in one of his first decisions as head of government.

Previously, the items used to be cleaned by government employees on the orders of former Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.

The thick red liquid, which looks like blood, was thrown over the memorial during the past hours.

The memorial has been a subject of controversy ever since civil society activists used the Great Siege Monument opposite the law courts as the place where Daphne Caruana Galizia is remembered.

For months, the memorial was cleared religiously by the government and, each time, activists would once again place flowers, candles and posters. On 16 January, a few days after becoming Prime Minister, Abela issued orders not to clean the memorial. Vigils remembering Caruana Galizia have been held on the 16th day of every month since her assassination in October 2017.