this post was submitted on 12 Sep 2025
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[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 194 points 1 week ago (13 children)

It means Banksy, who has remained anonymous for more than 25 years, could finally be unmasked as he would be required to publicly disclose his name if brought to court.

Gonna be hard to bring them to court if you don’t even know their name, isn’t it?

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 144 points 1 week ago (5 children)

With the London surveillance apparatus, I bet they could figure out who Banksy is. It’d be an insane waste of time and resources, but I bet they could.

[–] KoboldCoterie@pawb.social 228 points 1 week ago (4 children)

The fact that they're going to all this trouble over this image proves the point the image was making better than anything else possibly could have.

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 75 points 1 week ago

Streisand Effect to the max.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 45 points 1 week ago (9 children)

Exactly and the image is already out on the internet now.

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[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago

If artwork is a threat to your system…

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

but, BUT, MUH LAW AND ORDER

[–] shininghero@pawb.social 34 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Could always make them waste even more resources by adding noise to what little data they might have.
I'm ~~Spartacus~~ Banksy!

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[–] oce@jlai.lu 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Does he still install them himself? Isn't it likely he sent someone to do it for him?

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

Couldn’t tell ya, but that’s certainly plausible.

[–] HikingVet@lemmy.ca 14 points 1 week ago

They have done both.

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[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 40 points 1 week ago

Seems like an opportunity for a bunch of street artists to show up at court and pull an “I’m Spartacus”.

[–] twinnie@feddit.uk 37 points 1 week ago

I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of people out there who know exactly who Banksy is. It’ll be like with The Stig, all the journalists knew who he was but the mystery was more interesting and sold more papers.

[–] Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I've long heard that his identity is an open secret and a lot of people know his actual identity. Solid chance the UK government already knows who he is.

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[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 17 points 1 week ago

Banksy is a company at this point. They can find them if they want to. It's not like they've never exchanged money for thier work before.

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[–] AlexLost@lemmy.world 179 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Ah yes, going after world renowned artist for graffiti because he made them feel bad. Truth speaking to power will always be unpopular with those in power.

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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 81 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

So they destroyed a priceless artwork, and are essentially planning to kill graffiti Santa next.

I wonder who's ordering this, and if they're aware it will not help the public opinion problem they're having.

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well Labour is just a different flavour of the Conservative Party. So it does track.

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[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 72 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives

[–] GorGor@startrek.website 19 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Careful what you wish for. I'm not disagreeing, but when the powerful are fearful, it will get worse before it gets better. Could be a whole lot worse.

[–] Infernal_pizza@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 1 week ago

Pretty sure that's what's happening now with all the online safety act chat control protesters are actually terrorists stuff

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[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 62 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Banksy is as much a person as Nicolas Bourbaki was. Although unlike Bourbaki, there is allegedly one guy who is kind of the main guy, but if that one guy goes to prison, I'm fairly certain Bansky artworks will continue to appear.

In fact I'd put money on the fact that one would appear in a prominent place soon after.

And if the establishment somehow manage to round up every single person associated with Banksy and manage to get something to stick to every single one of them, which I strongly doubt is possible, the rise in wannabe Banksy groups doing the same thing won't be far off.

The artwork is almost always made with stencils and spray paints. Stencils can be prepared well in advance. A trained group could have one of these up in under a couple of minutes.

If I was Banksy - or one of them - I would almost certainly have distributed my art to trusted individuals for the event of my incarceration and beyond.

[–] meco03211@lemmy.world 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

In fact I'd put money on the fact that one would appear in a prominent place soon after.

I mean, if it's multiple people and the ones not incarcerated don't immediately drop more art, I'd be disappointed.

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[–] DrFistington@lemmy.world 53 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Do they realize how famous and beloved that person will be if they are identified?

[–] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I just want him up be the most unexpected person.

like Lord buckethead, or the most gammon looking brit on the island

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[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 48 points 1 week ago (1 children)

So telling that they tolerated his "criminal damage" for literally decades, until it made them actually look bad.

[–] BenjiRenji@feddit.org 20 points 1 week ago (2 children)

No.. they just have become more repressive and no longer tolerate being called out. This is a scary reaction for democracy for just a painting on a wall.

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[–] UpperBroccoli@lemmy.blahaj.zone 45 points 1 week ago (1 children)

UK, what the bloody hell is wrong with you.

[–] Regrettable_incident@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Our current government is the labour party, the one of the big two that is supposed to be more left leaning. They haven't been left leaning in twenty years, they crept to centrist and now the creep to the right continues. They're not dissimilar from the democrats in America. Internationally, there seems to be a general move towards the right and we are certainly following it. Demonstrations and activism don't seem to help. Shit is fucked, basically.

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[–] ShittyBeatlesFCPres@lemmy.world 44 points 1 week ago (5 children)

The article says it could result in a fine that’s based on the value of the damage. You’d think having a famous artist’s work would increase the value of the building.

[–] 100@fedia.io 29 points 1 week ago (2 children)

would be funny if courts did agree it was net increase to value if they didnt destroy it

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[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 40 points 1 week ago

They're determined to Streisand Effect this into the history books, huh?

[–] prettybunnys@sh.itjust.works 38 points 1 week ago

Sounds to me like London just declared all their walls as open season

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 36 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Could everyone in London just suddenly adopt a fashion trend of wearing V for Vendetta masks?

... Or is that already illegal?

[–] bytesonbike@discuss.online 20 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

spits out chewing tobacco

leans forward in chair, causing spurs to ring

adjusts cattleman hat

squints

Well.

Ain't that just the darndest coincidence.

Me too.

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[–] Tryenjer@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

The UK, in collaboration with the US, has been a surveillance state for over 15 years. Now is becoming an authoritarian one too.

https://youtu.be/PoY_GboFMjc

[–] Donebrach@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago

“We must catch this villain who is making public edifices worth millions to our oligarchs!!”

[–] heyWhatsay@slrpnk.net 28 points 1 week ago

Could have avoided the higher criminal charges by painting a building across the street, but this does demonstrate the insecurity of authority.

[–] CubitOom@infosec.pub 28 points 1 week ago (1 children)
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[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 26 points 1 week ago

Oh no! That is so scary. I hope that whoever it is doesn't have decades of experience in working and traveling anonymously around the world while performing illegal acts of guerilla artwork while evading both the legal authorities and an adoring public fanbase!

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