The street artist apparently targeted the French government's crackdown on immigrants.
The elusive street artist Banksy apparently struck Paris with at least six murals targeting the French government's crackdown on immigrants.
In one, a young black girl is seen painting over a swastika. At her feet is a sleeping bag and a teddy bear, showing she lives on the street. The image, on a wall in northern Paris, is next to a refugee shelter that closed in March despite protests, including those of the city's Socialist mayor, Anne Hidalgo.
French president Emmanuel Macron has said the city will not become a haven for immigrants. At least 40 encampments have been closed in the past three years, leading to an increase in the homeless population.
Banksy, a mysterious British graffiti artist, is a refugee supporter. He has not claimed responsibility for the Paris murals, but experts on his work say they are consistent with previous works.
Another image shows Napoleon on horseback as he crosses the Alps to invade Italy in 1800. His face is wrapped in a red cloak, an apparent reference to the banned Muslim headscarf.
A third mural near the Sorbonne seems to skewer the perceived death of the French revolutionary spirit. A rat, Banksy's trademark image for wronged people, is shown wearing a Minnie Mouse bow above a caption reading, "May 1968." The date refers to a student uprising 50 years ago.
The other sites show a man offering a bone to a dog with a sawed-off leg, a rat blowing up a road sign and a rat perched on the cork of a champagne bottle.
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