Banksy’s recently unveiled mural outside a London court has been removed, with officials claiming this was carried out due to the building’s historic status.
The mural, which shows a protester being beaten with a gavel by a judge, appeared this week on an exterior wall of the Royal Courts of Justice building in London. Its appearance, as has long been the case with all Banksy pieces, was met with immediate attention from art appreciators and free expression detractors alike.
The timing of the piece’s unveiling was also significant, as it came after hundreds were arrested in London while protesting the government’s targeting of the Palestine Action activist group.
A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals was quoted in a recent BBC News report as saying the Royal Courts of Justice building was a “listed” site, adding that its “original character” would be maintained, thus signaling the mural’s removal.
Footage shared to social media captured the removal process in progress. At one point, all that remained of Banksy’s latest piece was a shadow-like reminder of the timely depiction of a protester and a judge, though that too arguably drove home the same message just as effectively as the original.
Among those who have criticized the U.K. government’s Palestine Action ban is Defend Our Juries, a citizens-driven organization aimed at shining a light “on this constitutional crisis taking place in our courts.” Earlier this week, the group celebrated the Banksy mural’s arrival, saying it symbolized “the state brutality unleashed on protesters.”
In a more recent update, Defend Our Juries pointed to what they argue is the corporate interests-fueled corruption behind efforts to hide Banksy’s ultimately removed piece.
“The public are taking it upon themselves to uncover the truth,” the group said.
ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas on October 25–26, 2025, with over 300 brands and live performances by Young Thug, YEAT & Friends, Peso Pluma, Central Cee, Ken Carson, and more. Get your tickets now.