Focus on the BIG picture.
Tuesday, Sep 09, 2025
Outside the box.
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
A Banksy mural at the Royal Courts of Justice depicting a judge striking a protester was quickly concealed by staff, triggering debate over protest and heritage preservation.
A striking new work by the anonymous artist Banksy appeared overnight on the exterior of the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.
The mural portrays a judge wearing a traditional wig and robe wielding a gavel against an unarmed protester shielded by a placard smeared with a red mark resembling blood—an apparent commentary on recent mass arrests at Parliament Square protests related to the government’s ban on the activist group Palestine Action.
Banksy confirmed authorship via his Instagram feed, sharing an image that shows passersby walking past the artwork, painted on the wall of the Queen’s Building.
The protester is shown collapsed on the ground, vulnerable beneath the judge’s strike.
Within hours, court staff had taken down the piece, erecting black plastic sheeting and metal barriers to obscure it.
Security personnel and CCTV cameras were deployed at the site.
Officials explained that the building is Grade II listed and that preservation of its character imposed obligations to remove the mural.
Activists responded swiftly, describing the removal as illustrative of the very suppression the mural seeks to expose.
A spokesperson for the group Defend Our Juries warned that attempts to silence dissent do not dampen it, but instead strengthen collective resolve in defence of civil liberties.
The mural follows Banksy’s established tradition of blending political provocation with public space—his previous works include images on the West Bank barrier, pieces in Marseille, and commentaries on migration and state power.
The intervention has reignited conversation about free expression, the role of street art in civic discourse, and the tension between artistic commentary and heritage protection.
The mural portrays a judge wearing a traditional wig and robe wielding a gavel against an unarmed protester shielded by a placard smeared with a red mark resembling blood—an apparent commentary on recent mass arrests at Parliament Square protests related to the government’s ban on the activist group Palestine Action.
Banksy confirmed authorship via his Instagram feed, sharing an image that shows passersby walking past the artwork, painted on the wall of the Queen’s Building.
The protester is shown collapsed on the ground, vulnerable beneath the judge’s strike.
Within hours, court staff had taken down the piece, erecting black plastic sheeting and metal barriers to obscure it.
Security personnel and CCTV cameras were deployed at the site.
Officials explained that the building is Grade II listed and that preservation of its character imposed obligations to remove the mural.
Activists responded swiftly, describing the removal as illustrative of the very suppression the mural seeks to expose.
A spokesperson for the group Defend Our Juries warned that attempts to silence dissent do not dampen it, but instead strengthen collective resolve in defence of civil liberties.
The mural follows Banksy’s established tradition of blending political provocation with public space—his previous works include images on the West Bank barrier, pieces in Marseille, and commentaries on migration and state power.
The intervention has reignited conversation about free expression, the role of street art in civic discourse, and the tension between artistic commentary and heritage protection.
