Was this mural stolen?

This is the Tucson Murals Project, but from time to time we show a mural outside of town. This story is about a mural in a northern part of London, England, that's probably by the famous street artist Banksy. (He keeps quiet about his art.) The mural was removed from the building; it turned up at an auction house in Miami, Florida, ready to be auctioned off. The sale was stopped at the very last minute, even though Scotland Yard and the art auction house insisted that there was nothing illegal about selling the mural.

Here are a few news stories that I (quickly) found about the controversy. They have photos of the mural, the empty space, and what popped up around it:

• Banksy Haringey mural auctioneers ‘will cancel sale if protesters prove theft' (Metro, London)
• Auction in US halted after Haringey residents campaigned for artwork to be returned to shop it was removed from (The Observer, London)
• Banksy Mural Taken From London Wall Withdrawn in Miami (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

So, who “owns” street art? The artist? The public? The owner of the building where it was painted? (Or maybe the tenant behind the wall?) Please feel free to tell us in the comment box below.