A mural by the anonymous street artist Banksy was removed from the exterior of the Royal Courts of Justice in central London on Tuesday after it appeared on a listed section of the building and drew official attention.
The artwork, which showed a figure lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard while a judge in wig and gown loomed over him with a gavel, appeared on the Queen's Building on Monday. Banksy confirmed authorship in an Instagram post showing the work before it was covered, and passers-by recorded the paint being scrubbed away as security staff and court service contractors worked to return the wall to its original appearance.
The HM Courts & Tribunals Service said the mural would be removed because the Queen's Building is a listed structure and the service is legally obliged to maintain its character. Officials said the work had been covered at points since it was discovered and guarded by security staff while decisions were made about how to proceed.
The Metropolitan Police said the mural had been reported as criminal damage and that inquiries were ongoing. The courts service and police have not disclosed the identity of those who applied or removed the paint beyond confirming contractors undertook restoration work.
Some commentators and observers have interpreted the image as a comment on recent arrests of people seen supporting Palestine Action at protests. The activist group, which carried out direct actions including damage to military aircraft, was designated a proscribed organisation by the UK government in July.
The appearance of the mural came weeks after the Lady Chief Justice, the most senior judge in England and Wales, warned of increased safety concerns for members of the judiciary. She said judges had been subjected to what she described as "increasing and increasingly unacceptable sensationalist and inaccurate abuse," remarks that highlighted growing anxieties about public hostility toward the courts.
Court service staff said the wall would be restored to its blank state in line with the building's listed status. The removal concluded a brief period in which the mural was protected from the elements and from immediate removal, drawing public interest and debate about street art, free expression and the legal protections surrounding historic buildings.