Overview

• The stencil, showing a judge striking a prone protester, was posted by Banksy on Instagram on Sept. 8, confirming authorship.
• HM Courts & Tribunals Service said the Grade I–listed complex must be kept in its original state and directed contractors to restore the wall.
• The artwork was first shrouded by temporary barriers then scrubbed on Sept. 10, with the Good Law Project publishing video of the erasure and PA images documenting the scene.
• Metropolitan Police said they received a Sept. 8 report of criminal damage at the site and that inquiries continue.
• Activists and art dealers criticized the decision, with some reading the image as commentary on the Palestine Action ban and one dealer saying a careful removal could have raised funds, potentially up to £5 million.