Banksy's anti-war stop sign stolen hours after unveiling in London

On December 22, 2023, Banksy claimed a new street art piece in Peckham, South London: a modified stop sign with three military drones flying over it, clearly protesting war. The artist confirmed authorship via Instagram. Within an hour, two men stole the sign at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way around 12:30 PM. This is Banksy's first official work since March 2023, when he painted a mural on a condemned farmhouse in Kent, following a Valentine's Day 2023 mural in Margate against domestic violence. The piece coincides with the closure of Banksy's Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, which was forced to shut due to missile attacks amid the Israel-Gaza war. The hotel, opened in 2017 near the Israeli separation barrier, featured works by Banksy and collaborators including David Grindon, criticizing Israeli violence. The stolen sign's current whereabouts are unknown.