Chinese political slogans appear on London Brick Lane street art wall
Online videos showed a group of people had spray painted the big red Chinese characters on a white background overnight at the weekend.
The "core socialist values", composed of 12 two-character words, are some of the most common political slogans under President Xi Jinping's rule. Political propaganda in the form of red block characters on a white wall are a familiar sight in China.
The Brick Lane slogans have sparked debate online over whether they count as street art and how freedom of expression and political propaganda interact.
The wall has also become an arena for competing narratives - people swiftly added new graffiti criticising the Chinese government.
Some added "no" in front, or posted other messages or images taking issue with the spray-painted words. One picture shows an £800 fine issued on Saturday, citing "graffiti & flyposting" as offences.
Others were upset that the slogans covered up older works, including a tribute to a well-known street artist who died.
The socialist slogans, first revealed by President Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao in 2012, include prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity and friendship.
Although the slogans have attracted negative comment, it's not clear if the people who painted them were being serious or ironic.
Wang Hanzheng, one of the creators who also goes by the name Yi Que for his art works, claimed the piece "didn't have much political meaning".
In an Instagram photo post, Mr Wang wrote in Chinese saying the group used the political elements as a coat "to discuss different environments".
"In the name of freedom and democracy, it illustrates the cultural centre of the West, this is London's freedom… Decolonize the false freedom of the West with the construction of socialism, let's see what happens," the post reads.
"Needless to say what's the situation on the other side," he added.
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