Banksy could be unmasked as police probe ‘criminal damage’ over Royal Courts of Justice artwork

28 comments

1. By no means do I think that Banksy is some kind of genius playing 4D chess but this reaction is probably exactly what he wanted.

2. He must have known this would happen? Spraypainting the RCJ is an incredibly stupid thing to do, unless you actually want to be prosecuted.

3. >The piece has not yet been claimed by Banksy

   So this is a bit of a nothing burger right now. Lots of people imitate Banksy.

   It could very well be one of his, but he’s usually pretty quick to claim them, is he not?

   Edit: Looks like the article is incorrect and that it *has* been claimed.

4. Pretty telling that they’ve finally decided it’s vandalism when it’s attacking the system and it’s response to peaceful protest on their own building. Criminal damage could’ve covered any other mural to this point.

5. Confirmation that it’s Neil Buchanan incoming.

   I know he denied it, but that’s what Banksy would do.

6. Well this just shows who the police are here to protect.

7. I’m surprised this government hasn’t made any comment yet about proscribing him and his people as a terrorist organisation. They must not be enjoying the prospect of him being charged just for criminal damage or vandalism.

8. Weird how all the other crimes he did were just “oh how nice for the building owner they can sell it” now it’s a major investigation…

9. It is down to the police and prosecution to get the right person, who may well not be THE banksy

10. So no investigation into the vandalism of that war memorial in Cornwall, but you criticise the governments crackdown on anti-war protest, and they send the goons in eh?

11. Good, I hope the hipster vandal wanker is finally charged.

12. Every Banksy from the last decade is basically an ‘i am 14 and this is deep’ statement. He’s an irrelevant hack.

13. So will this mean the police will also investigate all other graffiti on other London buildings. Or only ones that might be seen to be political?

14. But he isnt actually anonymous is he?

    Though I like his stuff, he does tend toward the easy, obvious attention seeker.

15. It’s actually Jake from The Tweenies that’s the weird thing

16. Well we all know spraypainting things is terrorism now. Time to proscribe Banksy. Anyone who buys coppies of their art should be locked away for supporting terrorism.

17. Hasn’t his identity been leaked for well over a decade?

18. Can you just STFP about how “this shows the establishment true colours”.

    It’s a category 1 listed building.

    Prosecution and removal have been standard practice since the 1990s and before.

    There is no example of any such mural, art or other granted permission retrospectively for Category 1 buildings.

    It’s literally the same law since the 90s and much of it is from the 60/70s!

19. Time to start the “I’m Banksy & so is my Wife” chant.

20. brilliant work of art — more brilliant for ensuing ramifications . . . well-played . . .

21. I don’t really understand the mural, can anyone explain to a simpleton like me? Is it referring to the Palestine Action protesters? because AFAIK none of them have been before a court yet

22. Yes lets destroy everything British about Britain, that won’t push people to the far right even more.

23. Ive never known a government in my life time, be at such odds against its own people on nearly every front.

24. Banksy sounds like a terrorist organisation. Proscribe!

25. How likely is it that he’ll be unmasked? I’m no expert or anything but hasn’t a few people been speculated to have been him over the past decade?

26. Quick, paint a St George cross next to it, that’s apparently not vandalism

27. Go on Starmer, go after Banksy. That’ll be a popular move.

28. Right, the same police who couldn’t identify hundreds of sexual predators in their own ranks or track down a masked phone thief on a Lime bike are going to unmask Banksy. I’m holding my breath.

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