New Banksy depicting judge attacking a protestor covered up in London
A new Banksy has appeared in London outside the Royal Courts of Justice.
The artwork depicts a judge attacking a protester with a gavel, who is lying on the ground and holding on to a blood-stained placard. It was quickly covered up by guards at the Royal Courts of Justice shortly after it appeared on September 8th.
After speculation that it was a work by Banksy, the anonymous artist took to his Instagram account to confirm it was legitimate. He shared an image of the art alongside the caption, “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.”
The latest Banksy is seemingly a reference to the recent arrests of pro-Palestine protestors, who have appeared at demonstrations against the ban of Palestine Action. In July, Palestine Action was officially proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government.
On September 6th, 890 supporters of Palestine Action were arrested in London at a demonstration. Most of these were detained under the Terrorism Act for supporting a proscribed group, while 17 were arrested for assaulting police officers.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart said of the demonstration: “The violence we encountered during the operation was coordinated and carried out by a group of people, many wearing masks to conceal their identity, intent on creating as much disorder as possible.”
Smart also said: “You can express your support for a cause without committing an offence under the Terrorism Act or descending into violence and disorder, and many thousands of people do that in London every week.”
However, Defend Our Juries, who organised the demonstration, deny Smart’s claims that it was a vital affair, stating that it was “the picture of peaceful protest”.
Banksy’s artwork is available to view below.
