A mural next to Marble Arch — widely believed to be the work of Banksy — has now been preserved behind a polycarbonate case.
The street art, featuring a child planting a sapling and holding the Extinction Rebellion logo, is accompanied by the motto: "From this Moment Despair Ends and Tactics Begin." The artwork appeared during the Extinction Rebellion protests back in April 2019.
Though the notoriously elusive street artist hasn't claimed the mural to be his, Westminster Council is sure enough to have splashed out on protecting it permanently.
Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Sports, Culture and Community, Cllr Iain Bott, said:
Banksy's work generates so much excitement and attention, sadly some of that attention isn’t positive – so we needed to take steps to protect and preserve it for the future.
An increasingly number of non-commissioned street art murals are getting the VIP treatment in London, including the David Bowie mural in Brixton, and another Banksy work near Barbican.
