Banksy, the mysterious street artist, has been focusing on the growing refugee crisis in his most recent works. His newest mural has recently appeared across the street from the French embassy in London, and shows an image of a young girl seen on many posters for the musical Les Misérables. The girl is standing in front of a torn French flag, crying and surrounded by smoke which is coming from a tear gas container at the bottom of the mural.
Many commenters have noted that the image is likely in reference to the fact that police have begun using tear gas on refugees at the French refugee camp in Calais known as “The Jungle.”
Refugees have been bottled up in the overcrowded refugee camp in deplorable conditions, awaiting asylum in one of the nearby European countries. Refugees regularly attempt to escape the camp to head for safer areas, but they are regularly pushed back by riot police with force and tear gas.
Technology has allowed Banksy to include a QR code with links to information about the violence that has been carried out against refugees.
Banksy has been outspoken on the refugee crisis, as we reported earlier this year, Banksy took down the materials used to build his “Dismaland Themepark” and donated them to refugee shelters in France where the materials are needed. The themepark itself had art installations that called attention to the refugee crisis as well.
Last month, Banksy actually painted a mural of Steve Jobs as a refugee inside the Calais camp. This references the fact that Steve Jobs is the son of a Syrian refugee who fled to America during World War II.
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John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can purchase his books, or get your own book published at his website www.JohnVibes.com.
