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Banksy mural of judge beating a protester scrubbed off Royal Courts of Justice in London
Euronews ^ | 10/09/2025 | David Mouriquand

Posted on 09/10/2025 10:42:26 AM PDT by nickcarraway

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has taken the decision to remove a new Banksy mural due to the building being listed and therefore legally protected. However, some feel that they are “silencing a work of art about silencing protest”...

A new Banksy artwork that sprung up this week at the Royal Courts of Justice in London has been scrubbed off.

As we reported this week, the mural by the ever-elusive street artist depicted a helpless protester lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard, while a judge loomed over him wielding a gavel.

British police moved quickly to cover-up a mural, with HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) taking the decision to remove it due to the Victorian gothic revival style building being 143 years old and listed - therefore legally protected.

Good Law Project posted on X about the artwork's removal: "The court is erasing Banksy's mural just like it's erasing our right to protest. It only took 48 hours for the Royal Courts of Justice to scrub out a Banksy showing a judge striking down a protester with his gavel.”

The post added: “Silencing a work of art about silencing protest? Maybe it was a little too close to home."

Banksy confirmed he was responsible for the work with a post on Instagram, showing the graffiti before it was covered over.

The artwork comes after almost 900 demonstrators were arrested for protesting in central London on Saturday against the banning of Palestine Action as a terror group.

The group was proscribed by the UK government under anti-terror laws earlier this year - making support for the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Recently, Downing Street warned best-selling Irish author Sally Rooney that her public pledge to support the banned group Palestine Action could fall foul of terrorism laws.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Conspiracy; Society
KEYWORDS: art; banksy; courts; goodlawproject; hamas; hezbollah; houthis; instagram; iran; islamofascism; islamofascists; koranimals; london; minilove; ministryoflove; palestineaction; rioters; sallyrooney; unitedkingdom; vandals; waronterror; whatshisfrnick; yemen

1 posted on 09/10/2025 10:42:26 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Is it just me, or does the judge look Arabic?


2 posted on 09/10/2025 10:45:56 AM PDT by Valpal1 (Not even the police are safe from the police!!!)
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To: nickcarraway

The UK government believes in freedom of speech and will ruthlessly crush anyone who says otherwise.


3 posted on 09/10/2025 10:48:26 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: nickcarraway

censoring a picture of the government engaging in censorship


4 posted on 09/10/2025 10:49:20 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: Billthedrill

that’s where they are....actually read an article which said that free speech isn’t dead, but common sense is (meaning, you can’t say stuff that is wrong because that’s not free speech...wrong is of course “right wing”)


5 posted on 09/10/2025 10:50:21 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: ConservativeDude
Yes, but it was more about where it was placed? If they had put a pro-government message, wouldn't it also be removed?

If someone spraypainted "Obama is the best" on your house in giant letters, would you take it down? They have every right to say "Obama is the best," just not on your house.

6 posted on 09/10/2025 10:52:20 AM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

A Banksy grafitti of a white judge beating a protesting minority in London.

*Yawn* As if.

Now, if another street artist had immediately followed up with making the wig a ghutra, the placard a cross of St. George, and the beaten man a more identifiable Briton, that would have created a real uproar on at least two different levels!


7 posted on 09/10/2025 10:53:17 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: nickcarraway

The After works too.

8 posted on 09/10/2025 10:56:50 AM PDT by OldHarbor
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To: nickcarraway

Paint a mural on your own house.


9 posted on 09/10/2025 11:07:05 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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To: Billthedrill

Hah! You get the gold star for today, my FRiend


10 posted on 09/10/2025 11:24:26 AM PDT by j.havenfarm (24 years on Free Republic, 12/10/24! More than 10,500 replies and still not shutting up!)
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To: Valpal1

Oh the judge looks Arabic all right, hook-nosed and bearded, and his wig a burnoose.


11 posted on 09/10/2025 3:02:48 PM PDT by heartwood (Please blame all ridiculous or iinappropriate words on autocorrect. Thank you. )
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To: heartwood

Apparently I mean ghutra not burnoose. Distinctions.


12 posted on 09/10/2025 3:04:46 PM PDT by heartwood (Please blame all ridiculous or iinappropriate words on autocorrect. Thank you. )
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To: heartwood

It’s sad this post didn’t get more attention today, but it was overshadowed by the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Banksy does good work.


13 posted on 09/10/2025 3:55:39 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Not even the police are safe from the police!!!)
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