A new Banksy mural at the Royal Courts of Justice in London will be removed after being reported to police as criminal damage, HM Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed.
The artwork, which appeared Monday on an outer wall of the Queen's Building, depicts a judge in traditional wig and gown striking a prone protester with a gavel. The protester is shown holding a placard spattered with red paint, while the gavel itself resembles the type used by auctioneers, not by judges in the U.K.
Shortly after its discovery, the piece was obscured by black plastic sheeting and cordoned off with metal barriers. Security guards have since been stationed outside the building, which is monitored by CCTV.
The Metropolitan Police said the graffiti was reported to them the same day it appeared.
"On Monday, 8 September, officers received a report of criminal damage to the side of the Royal Courts of Justice. Inquiries continue," the force said in a statement to Sky News.
Banksy later confirmed the artwork was his creation through an Instagram post showing images of the mural before it was covered.
The caption simply read: "Royal Courts Of Justice. London."
HM Courts and Tribunals Service said the work would be removed under regulations protecting historic sites.
"The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character," a spokesperson said.
Banksy's street art, frequently stencilled onto public walls and buildings, often takes aim at political institutions, capitalism, and war. His latest intervention comes a year after he staged an animal-themed series of nine works across London, according to the BBC. That project included images of piranhas circling a police sentry box, a wolf painted on a satellite dish, and a gorilla seemingly lifting a shutter at London Zoo. In several cases, the pieces were removed within hours of being revealed.
The anonymous artist, whose identity has never been officially confirmed, has also produced politically charged work in the West Bank. In 2019, he unveiled a "modified Nativity" scene in Bethlehem, displayed at his Walled Off Hotel near Israel's separation barrier. The piece showed the manger positioned in front of a concrete wall pierced by a blast hole shaped like a star.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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