Marx memorial vandalised in London for second time

The memorial of German philosopher Karl Marx has been vandalised in London for the second time in two weeks, the cemetery that manages the site said on Saturday. The words “architect of genocide”, “terror and oppression” and “mass murder” were written in red paint on the grave in the capital’s Highgate cemetery. “Doctrine of hate” was also scrawled on the memorial, among other slogans.

The grave of Marx, who developed the theory of international communism, was also attacked on February 4 when it was seemingly struck several times with a blunt metal instrument. A marble plaque with the names of Marx and his family -- the monument’s oldest and most fragile part -- was repeatedly hit. “Vandals back at Marx Memorial, Highgate Cemetery. Red paint this time, plus the marble tablet smashed up,” tweeted Highgate Cemetery on Saturday alongside photos of the memorial covered in red paint.

“Senseless. Stupid. Ignorant. Whatever you think about Marx’s legacy, this is not the way to make the point,” it said. German revolutionary philosopher Marx moved to London in 1849 and lived in the city for the rest of his life. His theories became the basis for communism. He died on March 14, 1883, aged 64. The granite slab monument in north London, 12 feet (3.7 metres) tall and topped with a bronze bust of Marx, was funded in 1956 by the Communist Party of Great Britain.