USA / Banksy shares his new artwork on George Floyd protests, says 'It's a white problem'

Washington: Banksy has shown his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, saying 'people of colour are being failed by the system'.

His comment comes one the second week of protests sparked by the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in the US.

The graffiti artist, who rose to fame for his provocative street art, shared a painting of a vigil candle burning an American flag along with his message.

He 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. The 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.

'This is a white problem. And if white people don't fix it, someone will have to come upstairs and kick the door in.'

The identity of Banksy has long been a closely-guarded secret, but that has not stopped him from becoming one of the most prolific artists of the 21st century, gaining attention for his politically-charged works.

Floyd was killed when a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds despite Floyd's desperate pleas that he 'can't breathe'. 

He passed out and later died in Minneapolis on May 25.

His death is seen as a symbol of systemic police brutality against African-Americans sparking outrage and largely-peaceful protests across the US. 

Demonstrations have since developed into world-wide anti-racism protests.

An estimated 4,000 people are expected to attend a demonstration in Bristol, Banksy's hometown, which will include a march through the city to Castle Park on Sunday.