Banksy 'Slave Labour' Wood Green Graffiti Put Up For Auction In Covent Garden

Banksy 'Slave Labour' Graffiti Put Up For Auction AGAIN

A Banksy mural which was withdrawn from a controversial auction at the 11th hour has been put up for auction again, to the dismay of local campaigners.

Slave Labour, which shows a young boy hunched over a sewing machine making Union Jack bunting, appeared on a wall in Wood Green, north London, last May, just before the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

It disappeared from the side of the Poundland store in February and then appeared in Miami for auction, but was withdrawn at the last minute after protests from Haringey Council.

But the work is now up for sale at an auction in Covent Garden on June 2 by the Sincura Group.

Stencil of a young boy sewing Union Jack bunting appeared on the side of a north London bargain store

Councillors, residents and local Trade Unions Congress attacked the move.

Haringey TUC secretary Keith Flett said: "The Slave Labour Banksy belongs to the people of Haringey not to a wealthy private client.

"We want the sale stopped and the Banksy back where it belongs in London N22."

When the mural was up for auction in Miami, where it was expected to fetch up to £450,000, Claire Kober, the leader of Haringey Council, said they were exploring "all options to bring back Banksy to the community where it belongs".

There was intrigue and suspicion that the mural had been stolen when it disappeared in February but Scotland Yard said there were "no reports of any theft".

Auctioneers Sincura said that the mural has "been sensitively restored under a cloak of secrecy", and will go on show alongside pieces by Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Mario Testino and Russell Young.

Slave Labour will go on sale at the London Film Museum in London's Covent Garden on June 2.

Wood Green councillor Alan Strickland said local people will relaunch their campaign and that the mural "belongs with the people of north London".

Mr Strickland added that people would find the auction "galling" and that residents have been "shocked" by the news.

He said: "This is a piece of art given to the community for public enjoyment, and people will find it galling that you can only view this work at an expensive champagne reception, when it belongs with the people of north London, not a private owner.

"A resident pointed it out to me and since then lots of residents and local people have been getting in touch.

"We are quite shocked by the development and really disappointed that after a community campaign it should be put up for sale again."

He added: "We have been encouraging people to contact the events company to ask them to remove the piece.

"We saw the level of public anger last time, as the story went around the world, and I expect the same this time.

"I would hope that people make their voices clear."

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