BANKSY TARGETS LONDON COURT BUILDING

Summary

• Banksy confirms new mural on Royal Courts of Justice exterior wall
• Artwork shows judge hitting protestor with gavel, blood on protest sign
• Authorities covered piece with plastic sheets and metal barriers within hours

A controversial Banksy mural appeared Monday on London's Royal Courts of Justice building. The anonymous street artist confirmed the work on Instagram with a simple location tag.

The piece shows a robed judge striking a protestor with an oversized gavel. Blood spatters across the protestor's placard in the stark black and white composition.

Observers link the timing to recent Palestine Action demonstrations. Police arrested nearly 900 protestors in Parliament Square last Saturday during protests against government restrictions on the activist group.

The mural's placement on the Queen's building exterior carries symbolic weight. Legal experts note the proximity to where high-profile cases proceed through Britain's court system.

Within hours of the artwork's appearance, authorities moved to conceal it. Workers erected plastic sheeting and metal fencing around the piece. Two security guards now monitor the area continuously.

Court officials declined to comment on removal plans. The City of London Corporation, which manages the area, has not issued statements about the artwork's future.

This marks Banksy's first major London work since his lighthouse installation in Marseille last May. That piece carried the message "I want to be what you saw in me" and appeared during heightened political tensions in France.

The Bristol-based artist builds his reputation on politically charged works. Previous pieces have targeted immigration policies, surveillance systems, and social inequality. The Royal Courts mural continues this pattern of placing art directly in seats of power.

Art collectors already speculate about the piece's value should it survive removal attempts. Recent Banksy works have sold for millions at auction, though the artist receives no proceeds from secondary sales.

The mural adds to London's collection of authenticated Banksy pieces. The city hosts over 30 confirmed works by the artist, though many have been removed, sold, or destroyed over the years.

Local residents gathered throughout Monday to photograph the covered artwork. Social media posts show the plastic barriers failing to completely hide the judge figure beneath.

The artwork's location proves particularly pointed. The Royal Courts house the Court of Appeal and High Court, where decisions affecting civil liberties and protest rights regularly unfold.

Palestine Action has faced increasing legal pressure in recent months. The group targets companies with ties to Israeli military operations through direct action protests. Government officials have labeled some activities as domestic extremism.

The timing suggests Banksy's awareness of current political tensions around protest rights. His work historically emerges during periods of social unrest or political controversy.

Previous court-adjacent pieces by Banksy have sparked similar responses. A 2019 work near Westminster Magistrates' Court disappeared within days of authentication.

The Royal Courts mural represents Banksy's most direct commentary on the justice system to date. Earlier works criticized police tactics and prison conditions but avoided direct court imagery.