New 'Banksy' stencil showing his 'Girl with a balloon' wearing a yellow vest with a bloody stump where her hand should be appears on the streets of Bordeaux
- A Banksy-inspired artwork was discovered in Bordeaux, France, on Tuesday
- Stencil appears to nod to famous Girl With Balloon, which sold for £1m at auction
- The girl is wearing a yellow 'gilets jaune' vest amid the ongoing French protests
- Girl has a bloody stump where her hand should be, like the injured demonstrator
- Thousands in France continue to protest over rising fuel prices and tax reforms
A Banksy-inspired graffiti piece depicting a little girl in a yellow 'gilets jaune' vest has been discovered in France, in an apparent nod to the famed artist's Girl with Balloon.
The mural, found in Bordeaux, southwestern France, comes amid the continuing French riots which has seen thousands take to the streets every weekend since December over rising fuel prices and government tax reforms.
Demonstrators, who have taken to wearing high-vis jackets, giving the protest its name, have turned increasingly violent in recent weeks, with one protester having their hand mangled while apparently clutching a firework.
The little girl depicted in the artwork also appears to have had her hand blown off, and is left with a bloody stump, like the injured protester from recent riots.
A Banksy-inspired graffiti piece depicting a little girl in a yellow 'gilets jaune' vest has been discovered in France, in an apparent nod to the famed artist's Girl with Balloon
The mural, found in Bordeaux, southwestern France, comes amid the continuing French riots which has seen thousands take to the streets every weekend since December over rising fuel prices and government tax reforms
Protesters gathering around a man whose hand appears to have been ripped off which spurts blood as he cries in pain on February 10
Banksy, who last year made headlines again when an artwork he sold contained an inbuilt self-destruction function which was triggered at Sotheby's auction, is known to claim his pieces on social media shortly after they have been sketched.
The artist has yet to claim the piece and it is believed so far to be a pastiche of the original.
Ten days ago paramedics were seen huddled around the injured protester, 30, near the gates of the National Assembly as they provided emergency treatment.
Some of the paramedics served as a barrier to stop media and demonstrators from getting too close.
Police confirmed that a protester had a hand injury while photographs from the demonstration showed the bloodied hand in desperate need of treatment.
A man walks past the Banksy-inspired piece of art stenciled in Bordeaux, France
A woman on a bike admires the Banksy-inspired piece of art stenciled in Bordeaux, France
Girl With Balloon, one of Banksy's most widely recognised works, was auctioned by Sotheby's in London in October last year. The framed, stencil spray painting shows a girl reaching towards a heart-shaped balloon and had been the final piece sold, equalling Banksy's previous auction record of £1.04 million
However, in a twist to be expected from street art's most subversive character, the canvas suddenly passed through a shredder installed in the frame. Posting a picture of the moment on Instagram, Banksy wrote: 'Going, going, gone…' The 2006 piece was shown dangling in pieces from the bottom of the frame.
Girl With Balloon, one of Banksy's most widely recognised works, was auctioned by Sotheby's in London in October last year.
The framed, stencil spray painting shows a girl reaching towards a heart-shaped balloon and had been the final piece sold, equalling Banksy's previous auction record of £1.04 million.
However, in a twist to be expected from street art's most subversive character, the canvas suddenly passed through a shredder installed in the frame.
Posting a picture of the moment on Instagram, Banksy wrote: 'Going, going, gone…'
The 2006 piece was shown dangling in pieces from the bottom of the frame.
Girl With Balloon: Banksy's iconic artwork
Girl With Balloon is one of graffiti artist Banksy's most famous murals.
The imagery was first spotted on the wall of a shop in 2002, in Great Eastern Street, east London.
It features just two simple shapes, with the statement: 'There is always hope'.
The girl depicts a Syrian refugee, an imagery which Banksy uses many times in his murals.
The iconic mural was last year voted the nation's favourite artwork.
The image was chosen above the likes of Constable's Hay Wain and Jack Vettriano's Singing Butler.
Featuring on the shop wall for more than 12 years. it was also set to be removed and sold in 2014.
Events company Sincura Group, which controversially removed another Banksy mural in Tottenham, said would exhibited the work before selling it for about £500,000.
A man who works in the printing shop said in he had not seen the Banksy mural for years because it was been covered with boards.
In March 2015, the third anniversary of the Syria conflict, Banksy reworked the painting to depict a Syrian refugee and added #WithSyria.
The image was later projected on the Eiffel Tower and Nelson's column in Paris.
Justin Bieber famously got the image tattooed on his arm, which was blasted by Banksy himself.
A Facebook page which is thought to represent the mysterious Banksy posted a photo of the ink with the caption: 'controversial.'
A version of the artwork painted onto the cardboard backing of an Ikea frame sold for £73,250 in 2012.
