Overview

• Banksy authenticated the piece by posting images on Instagram captioned "Royal Courts Of Justice. London."
• The stencil on the Royal Courts of Justice’s Queen’s Building shows a bewigged judge hitting a prone protester beside a blood‑splattered placard.
• The image was swiftly concealed with black plastic and metal barriers and is now guarded under CCTV, with reports differing on whether court staff or Westminster Council directed the cover‑up as the courts service noted the Grade I‑listed site must retain its original character.
• The Metropolitan Police said criminal damage had been reported and that an investigation is under way.
• The mural appeared two days after roughly 890 arrests at a Parliament Square protest over the proscription of Palestine Action, and activists are interpreting the work as a critique of the crackdown on demonstrations.