Authorities have announced that a newly appeared mural by the elusive street artist Banksy, depicting a judge striking a protester with a gavel, will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s landmark courts, according to authorities on Monday.
The artwork, which surfaced Monday, shows a protester lying on the ground clutching a bloodied placard while a judge, dressed in a traditional wig and black robe, raises a gavel. Banksy shared an image of the mural on Instagram, a typical method for confirming his creations, with the caption, “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.”
Security personnel quickly covered the mural with black plastic sheets and placed two metal barriers around it. Two officers and a surveillance camera were stationed to guard the site.
Given that the Victorian Gothic revival building is 143 years old, officials said the mural would be removed with care for its historical significance. HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) said in a statement, “The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character.” Listed buildings in the UK are legally protected as sites of national historic importance.
While the piece does not point to a specific event, activists interpreted it as a critique of the UK government’s ban on the group Palestine Action. During a protest on Saturday, nearly 900 people were arrested in London challenging the ban.
Defend Our Juries, the organisers of the demonstration, issued a statement saying the mural “powerfully depicts the brutality unleashed” by the government ban. They added, “When the law is used as a tool to crush civil liberties, it does not extinguish dissent, it strengthens it.”
The courts have been involved in the Palestine Action case, initially rejecting the group’s request to appeal the ban. A High Court judge later allowed the appeal to proceed, though the government is now contesting that decision.
Banksy began his career spray-painting walls in Bristol, England, and has grown into one of the world’s most recognised artists. His works, often sold for millions, have also attracted theft and vandalism.
Known for politically charged art, Banksy has repeatedly addressed issues such as government policies on migration and war.
He has created multiple pieces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including a girl conducting a body search on an Israeli soldier, a dove wearing body armour, and a masked protester throwing flowers. He also designed the “Walled Off Hotel” in Bethlehem, which closed in October 2023.
