A mural about immigration by the famous graffiti artist Banksy was erased in southern England by a UK town council after complaints that it was racist.
The authorities didn’t realize it was done by Banksy, whose artwork has been stripped from walls and sold at auction for as much as $1.8 million.
"There was a sharp intake of breath when we realized it was a Banksy," Tendring Council spokesperson
Nigel Brown told The Associated Press. The graffiti was in Clacton-on-Sea, where a special election will be held next week that includes the anti-immigration Independence Party.
A photo on Banksy’s website shows an unidentified man sitting in front of the mural, which features pigeons holding anti-immigration signs aimed at what the AP called an "exotic-looking bird."
Brown said the council had felt a duty to act on the complaints.
"We would love him to come back," he told the AP. "We're not against Banksy or murals."
Many people went online to mourn the council’s decision to erase the mural, and some questioned why it was considered racist.
The Guardian said the graffiti was the second Banksy artwork done in Britain this week. Another, called Art Buff, appeared in Folkestone, Kent, where the building owner has protected it with a security guard.
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