New Banksy Mural Hits London's Royal Courts of Justice
The artwork, which depicts a judge striking a protestor, was quickly concealed by authorities.
Summary
- Banksy has revealed a new painting on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice building in London
- The mural, which depicts a judge coming down on a protest with a gavel, is thought to be linked to the recent protests against the government’s ban on Palestine Action
- Shortly after the artwork appeared, it was covered up by authorities
A new Banksy piece has surfaced in central London and, in true Banksy fashion, is already drawing major controversy. On Monday morning, the anonymous graffiti artist took to Instagram to authenticate the work, simply captioning it with its location: the Royal Courts of Justice.
Painted on the exterior of the Queen’s building, the mural depicts a judge garbed in full regalia striking down on a protester with a gavel, blood splattering across the placard.
While the work does not make explicit reference to any particular cause or movement, it’s suspected to be linked to the protest against the government’s ban on Palestine Action, which led to the mass arrest of nearly 900 people in Parliament Square last Saturday.
According to BBC, authorities moved quickly to conceal the Banksy painting with sheets of plastic and metal fences, with two security guards stationed nearby.
The Court-side mural is the latest from the Bristol-based artist, following his cryptic lighthouse piece mounted in Marseille in May, which read: “I want to be what you saw in me.” Hailed for his politically charged artworks, Banksy’s latest mural continues his streak of installing art in the path of power.
