France to protect Banksy mural of Steve Jobs in Calais migrant camp

The Banksy mural depicts a life-size Jobs carrying a shoulder bag and an early-model Apple computer on a wall at the entrance of the Calais camp, surrounded by immigrants’ tents. The mural pictures are posted on Banksy’s website. 

Authorities in Calais, northern France, said they plan to shield the murals with glass or transparent plastic panels. “We found out about the presence of this artwork yesterday and have decided to protect it, so it is not damaged,” a Calais city spokeswoman said. Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart told local newspaper Nord Littoral that the artwork is an opportunity for Calais. “It is very good, and it has a message,” she said.

Banksy, whose identity has never been confirmed, said in a rare statement to British media that Apple only exists because US authorities allowed in a young man from Homs, Syria. “We’re often led to believe migration is a drain on the country’s resources but Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian migrant,” said Banksy, who is famous for painting ironic murals in unexpected places.

Some 6,000 migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East live in a so-called “jungle” of camps in Calais and are trying repeatedly to enter Britain by jumping onto lorries, hiding on trains and walking through the tunnel in the hope of better lives there than in continental Europe.