There’s a world-famous street artist whose name everyone knows, but his face is a mystery.
BANKSY
He’s a screaming lefty whose little protest or social commentary works of art have for years mysteriously appeared on street corners, the sides of buildings, and bridges all over the world, but mostly in his British homeland.
His smug brand of progressive holier-than-thou irritates the crap out of conservatives like the guys at Spiked, and I can see why. For one thing, he’s the typical hypocritical type of socialist who uses his talent to prate pretentiously about inequality and intolerance. But then making – and keeping – hundreds of thousands on the sale of his work, leaving slaggards like Bernie Sanders in the oligarchical dust and the AOCs dreaming of big payoffs while nestled in gifted private jet seats.
Banksy has struck again – but a council in the east of England has struck back, removing his artwork that it said contained “offensive and racist remarks”.
The latest mural by the controversial graffiti artist, whose real identity is not widely publicised, was painted overnight in Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex, a week ahead of a byelection in the town triggered by the decision of local Conservative MP, Douglas Carswell, to defect to the UK Independence Party (Ukip).
The work showed five grey pigeons holding up signs including one stating “go back to Africa” towards a more colourful migratory swallow. One of the pigeons’ signs read “migrants not welcome”, while another held a placard that read “keep off our worms”. Ukip argues that Britain’s immigration policies are too lax.
I was reminded of my favourite Banksy story this morning.
King Robbo – the late pioneer of the UK graffiti scene, hailing from the council estates of north London – would often tell it. Apparently, Robbo was once introduced to some young, aspiring graffiti artists in a pub in Old Street. Most were keen to pay homage to him.
But then one upstart from Bristol cockily pretended to have never heard of him. Robbo gave him a slap. ‘You won’t forget me now, will ya?’, he recounted to a Channel 4 documentary crew in 2011. ‘And with that, he picked up his glasses and he run off.’
It was Banksy. Who has been slapping the public in the face ever since.
It’s the appearance of the latest Banksy vignette that has the Spiked guys snorting, but it might just be the artist’s biggest hit and worst miscalculation.
What appeared overnight this week on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice in London was a Banksy work commemorating the rousting of a group of Palestine Action protestors, with hundreds arrested.
…It was discovered just days after hundreds of activists were arrested in London for holding up placards saying ‘I support Palestine Action’, in solidarity with the anti-Israel activist group of the same name that was recently proscribed by the government – making even expressing support for Palestine Action a serious criminal offence.
You can see why Banksy would want to row in behind his fellow vandals, who were banned after they did £7million worth of damage to an RAF base. (Though I note he didn’t have the balls to write ‘I support Palestine Action’ on the protester’s placard, and thus risk arrest himself.)
What he’s done instead is set in motion a living, breathing example of the two-tiered British police authoritarian state that has been suppressing and persecuting the British people.
And his little scene has become a canvas in itself for the long-suffering British people.
It started out like this.
🇬🇧 New work by street artist Banksy has appeared on the wall of the Royal Courts of Justice in London – showing a judge attacking a protester, lying on the ground, with a gavel. pic.twitter.com/kJKFycVrZY
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 8, 2025
But the blank placard the Hamas supporter is waving defensively soon became a guidon online.
PROJECT YOUR OWN OPPRESSION
Modified Banksy art in London pic.twitter.com/KRYQz2nfQR
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) September 8, 2025
And then the oppressors moved in, throwing a corrugated fence around the offensive-to-the-state little mural.
Well 1 hour after the new banksy was revealed that was mocking the courts for censoring people, the courts censored it by covering it up…
Proving his point… pic.twitter.com/aGRZR4GTBx
— Grifty (@TheGriftReport) September 8, 2025
And the authorities got the local handyman who had a wire brush and soap to come in and whiz the offending paint from the wall.
Under the watchful eye of court guards, of course, and all behind the concealing wall.
A good illustration of modern Britain. Masked man removes artistic dissent against a Tyrannical State, under the guard of Foreign State Security.pic.twitter.com/Ley9jAIYUW
— Paul Weston (@PWestoff) September 10, 2025
Then the funniest thing happened – almost an Obi-Wan ‘strike me down, I become more powerful‘ moment.
Strike me off, said the little painting…
When you try to remove a piece of art and accidentally make it better. pic.twitter.com/PpLGuZkpyI
— Barry Malone (@malonebarry) September 10, 2025
…and I will haunt your wall forever.
Gotta hand it to the authorities. At first I was mad when they scrubbed the Banksy, but they have unintentionally made one of the most powerful artworks of all time. pic.twitter.com/eRCkQ32TTV
— Ricky Hale (@RickyHale_) September 10, 2025
I WILL BECOME EVEN MORE POWERFUL
A transmutation of the narrow, original, hateful message into a national symbol of oppression by the very authoritarians it was painted to mock.
Transformative art – sometimes all it takes is a little elbow grease.
