Banksy artwork of rat holding blade snatched in Paris

Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept. 3

Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept. 3 are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com

A Banksy mural that was said to have paid tribute to France’s May 1968 uprising was stolen from outside the Pompidou Center in central Paris.

The stenciled artwork of a masked rat holding a box cutter was cut from the sign, which faced the Pompidou Center, a complex that includes an art museum.

"We are sad to inform you that Banksy's work of art facing our building on rue Beaubourg was stolen during the night,” the Pompidou Center said in a statement Tuesday, posting images of the sign before and after the apparent theft.

POSSIBLE BANKSY ARTWORK APPEARS NEAR LONDON CLIMATE CHANGE PROTEST

"Although this piece was not part of our collection, we were proud that the artist had chosen the side of our building to create it, as an homage to the events of May '68. We are filing a legal complaint."

While the art was fitted with a plexiglass covering to prevent its theft, the thieves were suspected of using a saw to excise it, Agence France-Presse reported. Museum security guards reportedly caught thieves trying to snatch the piece last year.

BANKSY-STYLE ARTWORK OF RAT HOLDING UMBRELLA AT TOKYO RAIL STATION COULD BE ARTIST'S LATEST

Banksy's true identity is known to just a handful of people, and his secretive nature has made it difficult to ensure beyond a shadow of a doubt that all of the work credited to him is truly his.

However, he did post a photo of the rat mural to his official Instagram page in June of last year.

The artwork commemorated the 50th anniversary of the uprisings across France in May 1968, when students protested the government under Charles de Gaulle, BBC News reported.

Banksy art tribute to the 2015 Paris terror victims stolen

Video

It wasn’t the first time this year an apparent Banksy piece was stolen in Paris.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

In January, a mural paying homage to the 90 victims of the 2015 Bataclan terror attack was stolen. Thieves sawed off the concert hall’s exit door, which depicted an image of a girl in a veil looking mournful.

Banksy’s art has become a valued commodity, with pieces selling for over $1 million at auction. His work often tackles controversial issues, such as immigration and environmental justice.

Fox News' Anna Hopkins contributed to this report.