Latest Banksy Mural Barricaded After Vandalism

Fortress-like protections have been erected around a new Banksy in Islington, north London, to the annoyance of locals. After a vandal splashed the mural with white paint, the building’s owner has put up plastic sheeting and wooden boards, all but hiding the artwork from public view. Banksy’s splattering of green paint on the side of an otherwise nondescript townhouse is arranged to look like the missing leaves of a nearby cherry tree, which is apparently decaying and has been harshly trimmed by the local council of Islington. At ground level, the street artist added a stenciled figure with a spray can and a hose, who appears to be looking up at their handiwork. The mural appeared two weeks ago and was vandalized within a couple of days after it was verified as a Banksy. Initially, Islington council installed a high metal fence around the work to make it harder to access on foot. It is also installing surveillance cameras to dissuade future acts of vandalism. Apparently unsatisfied with these measures, the building’s owner, who is now also the artwork’s legal owner, has taken matters into their own hands. Over the top of the mural they have installed a plastic screen...