CND Soldiers depicts two soldiers kneeling on the ground. One holds a rifle, surveying the surroundings attentively, ready to act. The other, surprisingly, holds a paintbrush and is painting a large red peace symbol on a wall. This emblem—now an international icon of pacifism—was created in 1957 as the symbol of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the United Kingdom.
Banksy plays on the absurd contrast: two armed soldiers engaged in conveying a pacifist message. Yet the dripping red paint, reminiscent of blood, suggests that even so-called “peace missions” can generate violence. In this scene, the soldiers are neither heroes nor instruments of war—they become almost like writers, marking the symbol as an act of rebellion or hope
The mural first appeared near the British Parliament during a protest against the Iraq War, associated with the demonstrations led by Brian Haw, a historic peace activist. It was a time when the validity of the evidence justifying military intervention in the country was being seriously questioned. Through this work, Banksy overturns conventional logic: those who are supposed to follow orders and wage war become spokespeople for a desire for change. The image thus serves as a visual echo of one of his most famous quotes: “The greatest crimes are not committed by those who break the rules, but by those who follow orders: those who drop bombs and massacre villages.”
CND Soldiers is not only a critique of the use of force; it is an invitation to imagine alternative ways to build peace, even for those who usually impose it with weapons.
