A new artwork by Banksy appeared on Monday at the Palace of Justice in London, UK. However, the authority responsible for the administration of criminal, civil, and family courts in England and Wales announced that the mural will be removed to preserve the building’s “original character.”
“The Palace of Justice is a listed building and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service in England and Wales (HMCTS) are obligated to maintain its original character,” said a spokesperson for the agency.
The artwork, shared by the artist on social media, depicts a judge—wearing a wig and a black robe—beating a protester lying on the ground, who is attempting to defend himself with a blood-splattered sign.
The painting has since been covered with two metal barriers and a black cardboard and is under surveillance by security guards and CCTV.
The piece appeared two days after 890 people were arrested by London police during protests in support of Palestine Action.
According to authorities, 857 protesters were detained for supporting the group, which was banned last July, while 33 were arrested for assaulting officers and committing other public order offenses.
A spokesperson for the group Defend Our Juries, which organized Saturday’s rally, stated that the mural “powerfully depicts the brutality unleashed by Yvette Cooper [former Home Secretary, current Foreign Secretary] against protesters by banning Palestine Action.”
“When the law is used as a tool to crush civil liberties, it does not extinguish dissent but strengthens it. As Banksy’s work shows, the State may try to take away our civil liberties, but we are many, and our determination to fight against injustice is unwavering—our movement against the ban [of the group] is unstoppable and grows every day,” they assured.
It should be noted that while there is no direct reference to the Gaza protests in this piece, Banksy has previously created murals in support of the Palestinian cause, particularly in the West Bank.
Scroll through the gallery to see the images of this new work.
The London police updated the number of people arrested on Saturday during protests in favor of the banned group Palestine Action, marked by violent clashes, to 890 today.
