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[–] 191 points 1 year ago (36 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?

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  • [–] 142 points 1 year ago (22 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.

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  • [–] 223 points 1 year ago (13 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.

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  • [–] 45 points 1 year ago (9 children)

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

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago (8 children)
  • [–] 92 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Before and after they tried to remove it only to further bolster the message

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  • [–] 34 points 1 year ago (3 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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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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  • [–] 35 points 1 year 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.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    He has sold some of his work at auction, I'm guessing they didn't write a check to "Banksy".

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Rumors (which are even on Wikipedia) say it's Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack, who started as a graffiti artist. Bansky told interviewers that he was inspired by Del Naja.

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    If I was trying to keep my identity a secret, I wouldn't say I was inspired by myself.

    And not even in reverse-psychology way, because then the interviewer would probably look up Del Naja and an immediately make the connection.

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  • [–] 174 points 1 year 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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  • [+] -25 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    I mean tbh they go after all the world renowned graffiti artists, as by nature graffiti is illegal. There are plenty muralists that aren't sought after by the authorities because they only paint legal (...under that name anyway...) but by definition graffiti is a crime.

    He's not because people not into graff know him so if he writes on your building it's worth money, yaaay. Even though those who know graff know him as a biter, for his copying of Blek Le Rat.

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  • [–] 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    I mean tbh they go after all the world renowned graffiti artists

    If it were some random dude writing some random letters, they probably would put in a lot of effort though; because the effort isn't because of material damage.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    Yeah, JA XTC, MQ, Kez 5 (dead), Semz, Zexor (dead), Risk, Cost & Revs, Kuma, Wanto, Pixote, Earsnot, Seen, etc on and on, all those dudes are still or were* (*either caught and now paint that name legally or died) being actively hunted by the cops specifically because of the material damage. I wouldn't know from experience or anything I've never written on anything and you have no proof to the contrary.

    Banksy isn't sought for criminal charges, he's sought because he's "famous." I'm sure he would face charges because he is at least doing his street art illegally, but it's absolutely not the same treatment someone like Jase or Ich would get bombing reefers, much less someone like MQ.

    In conclusion, Team Robbo FTW fuck that biter.

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  • [+] 2 points 1 year ago* (1 child)
  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    Right, for people as famous as Banksy and nobody else, that's partly what I'm talking about. Sure legal murals get protected all the time but writers/bombers (like King Robbo who banksy dissed,) and even most "street artists" who don't write, (like Blek Le Rat, who Banksy bit) get chased by the cops (or train yard bulls), it's the name of the game, and frankly it wouldn't be as fun without it.

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  • [–] 61 points 1 year ago (2 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.

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  • [–] 54 points 1 year ago (3 children)

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

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  • [–] 12 points 1 year 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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  • [+] 47 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 43 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    UK, what the bloody hell is wrong with you.

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  • [–] 24 points 1 year 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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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The UK government as effectively ignored all protests since the poll tax riots. The choice seems either start acting like the French or just sit down and shut up.

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  • Yeah, and I've been on some actions that have kicked off, back in the day, fighting the lines of riot police. It was fun but achieved fuck all. Yeah we need many more people involved in aggressive protests. I don't know if that will help either, but at least we need to mobilise a broader section of the population.

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  • [–] 43 points 1 year ago (7 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.

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  • [–] 28 points 1 year 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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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago

    Interesting. "The value of the damage." I'd say it's pretty likely the Banksy worked increased the value of the wall, if not the whole property. So is that negative damage? The people who decreased the value where those who tried to clean off the artwork.

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  • [–] 81 points 1 year ago* (4 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.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I'm pretty sure they no longer care about public opinion, they're confident there's nothing we can (or will) do.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    That is the vibe the UK government gives in particular sometimes. There's been a few issues over the past decade and a bit where they just haven't given a fuck about privacy, free speech or recourse against the authorities.

    It's mistake to think that way, though, because the nation actually is a democracy now.

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  • [–] 39 points 1 year ago

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

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  • [–] 36 points 1 year ago

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

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  • [–] 35 points 1 year ago (6 children)

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

    ... Or is that already illegal?

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  • [–] 20 points 1 year ago (4 children)
  • [–] 14 points 1 year 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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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    Spikes my Mohawk with egg white

    causing an uncomfortable squishing sound

    folds the collar down of my spiked leather jacket

    spits the taste of last night's beer out my mouth

    looks up and around confused

    Why do I suddenly feel like a forty year old recluse?

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  • [–] 34 points 1 year ago

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

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  • [–] 27 points 1 year 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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  • [–] 72 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Nothing will meaningfully improve until the rich fear for their lives

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Yup. It's a one way trip to fascist dystopia until the oligarchs feel they might genuinely face the old French treatment.

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  • [–] 20 points 1 year 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.

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  • [–] 29 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [–] 29 points 1 year ago

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

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  • Fuck are you kidding me?

    The plebs are getting rowdy. Surely this will send the message we're hoping for and they'll settle down.

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