Banksy's Cat Mural Taken Down Quickly
- Banksy's latest cat-themed artwork was recently unveiled in northwest London and confirmed by the artist himself.
- However, the artwork was removed shortly after its reveal.
- This piece joins a series of other animal artworks by Banksy unveiled this week.
A contractor faced backlash from onlookers as he removed Banksy's latest artwork, a silhouette of a stretching cat, just hours after it was unveiled on Saturday evening. This piece is part of a new series featuring animal images that Banksy has released throughout the week. The contractor, identified only as Marc, explained that the billboard was scheduled for removal on Monday, but the decision was expedited to prevent potential vandalism. Despite Marc's intentions to store the artwork for Banksy, the billboard's owner informed police that it would be donated to an art gallery. In an effort to manage the crowd and ensure safety, police requested that a black board be placed over the majority of the cat image, as people were reportedly stepping into traffic to capture photos and videos of the piece. Earlier in the week, Banksy had introduced several other animal-themed artworks across London, including a goat near Kew Bridge and three monkeys swinging from a train bridge over Brick Lane. The series has generated significant public interest, with previous pieces, such as a wolf on a satellite dish, quickly disappearing after their reveal. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that no arrests were made during the incident. Meanwhile, Banksy has faced criticism from former home secretary James Cleverly, who condemned one of his festival artworks as "trivialising" serious issues.