Overview

• Workers erased the artwork on September 10 after it was kept covered and cordoned off since its discovery two days earlier.
• HM Courts and Tribunals Service said the Royal Courts of Justice is a protected site and that removal was required to maintain its original character.
• The Metropolitan Police confirmed receiving a criminal-damage report and said investigations are ongoing.
• Banksy claimed the piece on Instagram, which depicts a judge raising a gavel over a fallen protester holding a blood-stained placard.
• Activists interpreted the mural as commentary on the proscription of Palestine Action and mass arrests, and observers note a prosecution could potentially expose the artist’s identity.