Earlier this week, on September 8, 2025, a new mural by anonymous street artist Banksy appeared on a wall in London. Specifically, the artist painted it on the Queen’s Building in the Royal Courts of Justice complex, and it wasn’t long before attempts were made to erase it, leaving the controversial work partially removed.
Banksy has never shied away from politics, but his latest piece appears to have struck a particular nerve with the British government. The original graffiti depicts a protester lying on the ground, clutching a blood-spattered placard, while a judge in full wig and gown looms above, gavel in hand. Many interpret the work as a reference to pro-Palestine demonstrations and the recent arrests of nearly 900 activists in London.
Guards quickly moved to conceal the work, covering it with a plastic sheet and placing two metal barriers in front of the wall. Officials were also quick to stress that the Royal Courts of Justice is a listed heritage building and is legally protected to preserve its original character. In a statement, HM Courts & Tribunals Service explained, “The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character.”
Attempts to scrub away the mural are already underway, but photos and videos online show the efforts, so far, haven’t really worked. What remains is a blurred, ghostly outline that many argue creates an even more powerful image, as if Banksy’s message has only been strengthened by the effort to censor it. With months of arrests over protests against the government’s move to label Palestine Action a terrorist group, many people are now asking whether free speech and the right to protest are under threat in the UK.
Some people online even suspect that it might have been Banksy’s plan all along. On Reddit, one user wrote, “This might be intentional. Banksy has to have known what they would do, so he used a different sort of paint for the silhouette that’s harder to get off. He duped the government into participating in performance art.” Another person agreed, saying, “This version might have been Banksy’s objective from the very start. He might have planned to use the UK government as a fading filter all along.”
Meanwhile, others have noted that the graffiti was bound to be removed regardless of its message, since it was painted on a Grade I listed historic building. Nevertheless, in trying to erase Banksy, the authorities may have only made his message impossible to ignore.
On September 8, 2025, a new Banksy mural appeared on the Queen’s Building at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, but attempts to erase it have already begun.
What remains is a blurred outline that many argue creates an even more powerful image, as if Banksy’s message has only been strengthened by the effort to censor it.
Source: In an attempt to remove Banksy’s art, the UK government has created a more iconic symbol of injustice in the UK
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