On Sunday, January 24, a mural created by the mysterious UK artist Banksy appeared on the streets of Knightsbridge, London, right across from the French embassy. The spray paint mural featured Cosette from the French musical, Les Misérables, with tears in her eyes and a cloud of tear gas surrounding her.
Banksy is well known for creating artwork that questions and criticizes controversial topics. He's sneaky, but he makes people think and influences change.
This recent mural criticizes the current refugee crisis, particularly in the "Jungle" camp located in Calais, France.
The artwork was made interactive with a scannable QR code. This linked viewers to an online video of police raids on the refugee camp that occured on January 5.
#Banksy new piece employs a QR Code leading to a video of the police raid in Calais https://t.co/CaoDSuaFfh#ArtNewspic.twitter.com/0Nrg4GDM1Q
— WideWalls (@widewalls1) January 26, 2016This video, posted by Calais Migrant Solidarity, shows that tear gas, rubber bullets and concussion granades were used on the refugees.
Many stopped to snap pictures, scan the QR code, and bring the conversation to a larger community.
But unfortunately, soon after it went up, the artwork was boarded up by nearby building owners who claimed that they were "preserving it."
Banksy confirmed that he is behind the creation, but this isn't the first time the artist tackled a social injustice issue with his artwork. Check out Banksy's other creative pieces confronting the refugee crisis like this one from December.
Although Banksy's Les Misérables inspired mural was boarded up, the conversation about the refugee crisis can and should continue.
Just like Banksy wrote in a recent mural about the refugee crisis, "no one should live like this." Global citizens can unite in communicating the truth about what's going on out there and how refugees are being treated. No one should live in an unjust enviornment and that truth can be spread through word, art, music--be creative!