Anger after latest Banksy vandalised with white paint overnight
People have questioned whether Banksy himself is a vandal or an artist
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Neighbours have spoken of their frustration after vandals struck in the night splashing Banksyās latest tree mural with two huge licks of white paint.
The elusive artistās mural drew crowds on Monday, with most struck by the ecological message and visual allusion of green leaves returned to a severely cropped cherry tree on Hornsey Road, north London.
But on Tuesday night other graffiti artists silently clambered over the hastily erected Islington Council fences to write their tag in the same green as Banksy, and throw white paint over the leaves.

The artwork in the Finsbury Park neighbourhood covers the wall of a four-story building and shows a small figure holding a pressure hose beside a large cherry tree.
Green paint has been sprayed across the wall, replicating the absent leaves of the tree, which has been severely cropped.
Amy, who lives with a joining wall to the graffiti, posted on X: āSomeoneās vandalised the Banksy overnight. Gutted. Why canāt people let a community be happy without trying to ruin it.ā
Asked if she heard any suspicious activity on Tuesday night, she said: āNope nothing - alas I didnāt hear anything when he painted it originally.ā

Lewis Cowell, 51, a caretaker of the flats for ten years told The Independent: āThe white paint that is just vandalism but then some would say Bansky is a vandal so itās just a certain point of view.
āSomeone else has been there and done a tag as well, in the same green.
āYou will never catch them. Itās like when Banksy put it up - nobody saw anything.
āThe other graffiti artists come over and have a bee in their bonnet and try to get one over him.ā
He added the council would try to remove the extra graffiti whilst protecting the Banksy.

He said council workers purposely cut back the 50-year-old cherry tree afflicted with fungus to allow it to bloom.
āWith a bit of luck we will have some foliage on the tree this year. It used to drape right over the street but it got sick.
āItās budding you can see it.ā

A neighbour Amanda Diment, 61, said: āIt was only a matter of time, Iām just happy nobody has scrawled the C-word over it.
āThe white paint looks like itās part of it to be honest it almost adds another layer. I used to cycle past that cherry tree every day and never looked twice.
āItās nice this forgotten area of Islington is getting some publicity too.ā

Local artist Mark Cornwell, 64, said: āBanksyās work is normally very intelligent, subliminal almost. But this is too overbearing and too easy. I think he is almost losing it. His work used to be small with a smart comment.
āI think he knows it wonāt be permanent that wall has had it. Itās blown out. He will have known that. Itās not overrated itās overblown. There is nothing cheeky, no cheeky gem for you to think about.
āHe must have sprayed it on the run-down wall in the rain and itās dripped down.ā
On the vandalism, he added: āI thought the white paint was part of it, to be honest. I donāt know what that means I donāt get that.ā

Banksy claimed the work by posting before and after photos of the location on his official Instagram account.
The new attraction drew a stream of onlookers who took photos and snapped selfies. Many discerned an environmental message in the vibrant green artwork, which appeared on Sunday ā St Patrickās Day.
āThe tree looks very sad without branches and without greenery,ā said Pura Lawler, on her way to a gym class. She felt Banksy was saying something about ādestroying the forests, destroying the greenery.ā
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who represents the area in Parliament, said the work āmakes people stop and think, āHang on. We live in one world. We live in one environment. It is vulnerable and on the cusp of serious damage being done to it.āā
āEnvironmental politics is about densely populated urban areas like this, just as much as it is about farmland and woodland and hedges,ā he added.
Banksy, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the worldās best-known artists.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments