Anti-war Banksy placards could fetch thousands

A pair of early Banksy works protesting the Iraq War could sell for thousands of pounds when they go up for auction on Thursday.

The spray-painted prints, named Bomb Hugger and Yellow Chopper, will be auctioned in Eastbourne after being originally acquired at an anti-war march in London attended by hundreds of thousands of people in 2003.

Jeannette May, senior valuer with Eastbourne Auctions, said the prints were "quite rare" and it was not known how many of the placards survived the march.

She said: "These are of the time when Banksy was really new and wasn't as known as he is today."

May added: "It was a highly charged time and these were topical at that time. We can't say how many of these were actually produced but they are quite rare as a lot were destroyed or taken off protesters by police."

The artworks, both spray-painted on cardboard placards, show anti-war imagery including a child hugging a bomb with the word "No" in red writing across the bottom.

Another shows three helicopters, one with a yellow bow on, and reads: Wrong War.

Letters from Pest Office, which authenticates Banksy works, say that it "does not authenticate street pieces" and that it would not authenticate the works as they were "not created for sale".

Between one and two million protesters are believed to have marched in London on 15 February, 2003, in protest at the Iraq War.

Previous placards sold for more than £24,000 when they were put up for auction in 2023.

Banksy first began spray-painting works around Bristol in the early 1990s but since became famous for works including the Kissing Coppers on the side of a Brighton pub, and Love is in the Bin, which was partially shredded as soon as it sold for £1m in 2018.

Eastbourne Auctions will put the placards up for auction later, from 09:30 GMT.

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