Two days after police arrested almost 900 people at a demonstration in support of Palestinian activists in London, a new Banksy mural depicting a court judge violently striking a protester has appeared in the heart of the city.
The famed elusive street artist shared an image of the stencil artwork with his 13.3 million followers on Instagram this morning, September 8. It features a judge in a traditional white wig and black robes using a gavel to hit a protester, who is shown holding a blood-spattered picket sign. According to the caption of the post, the mural was painted on the exterior of the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The BBC reported that the mural was quickly concealed with a large plastic sheet and two metal barricades under the watch of two security guards.
Although the street artist does not make any explicit mention of a particular event, his latest artwork appeared shortly after mass arrests at a protest opposing a government ban on the activist group Palestine Action on Saturday, September 6.
In July, the UK government designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, making support of the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The ban was put in place after the group vandalized two military aircraft with red paint and crowbars in June. Saturday’s demonstration, which was held in Parliament Square, reportedly gathered an estimated 1,500 attendees, who carried homemade cardboard and paper signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
The spot Banksy chose for his latest work is located on Carey Street on the outer wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex in Westminster. It is classified as a Grade II building on the National Heritage List for England, which constitutes approximately 92% of all listed buildings in the UK.
A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals told Hyperallergic that the Royal Courts of Justice was a listed building and that it was “obliged to maintain its original character.”
Known for his sharp government criticism and sociopolitical commentary, Banksy has often used his art as a platform to draw attention to human rights struggles. Many of his works call attention to Palestinian suffering at the hands of Israel, such as the temporarily closed Walled Off Hotel in the Occupied West Bank and various murals throughout Gaza.
