Banksy releases new artwork inspired by George Floyd death: ‘This is a white problem’

Mysterious street artist said that ‘people of colour are being failed by the system – the white system’

Banksy has released a new artwork inspired by the killing of George Floyd.

After posting the new piece on his Instagram page on Saturday (6 June), the enigmatic street artist wrote: “At first I thought I should just shut up and listen to black people about this issue. But why would I do that? It’s not their problem. It’s mine.”

He continued: “People of colour are being failed by the system. The white system.

“Like a broken pipe flooding the apartment of the people living downstairs. This faulty system is making their life a misery, but it’s not their job to fix it. They can’t – no-one will let them in the apartment upstairs.”

He concluded the post by writing: “This is a white problem. And if white people don’t fix it, someone will have to come upstairs and kick the door in.”

Banksy’s artwork inspired by the death of George Floyd (Instagram)

The new piece of art he posted shows a tribute to an anonymous black figure alongside a candle that has set the American flag on fire.

Protests have broken out across the US in the wake of the killing of the 46-year-old African American Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.

White officer Derek Chauvin was videoed pushing his knee into his neck for over eight minutes.

In a video of the incident, Floyd can be heard pleading with him to stop, saying: “I can’t breathe.”

Chauvin was fired, arrested and charged with second degree murder and manslaughter.

Washington demonstrators are gathering for what is expected to be the largest protest against police brutality in the city since the killing of Mr Floyd in Minneapolis.

Army secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters on Friday that local officials were projecting between 100,000 and 200,000 protesters on Saturday.

Following an incident on Friday (5 June), which saw a 75-year-old man pushed to the ground during a Black Lives Matter protest, two members of the Buffalo Police department were suspended.