Banksy’s latest piece has already been shut down – because it’s about Palestine

The street artist Banksy has unveiled a new piece at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Looking at it, it’s clear he’s making a statement about the how the UK is increasingly using legal means to restrict the right to speak out. Fittingly, the powers-that-be immediately moved to hide his message from public view:

And this has just made it more powerful.

[Pic: Callum Parke/PA] pic.twitter.com/c39EDg3yKt

— Barry Malone (@malonebarry) September 8, 2025

Don’t look!

Under Keir Starmer, Britain is increasingly keen to tell people what they shouldn’t do.

Don’t protest.

Don’t oppose the genocide.

Don’t even call it a genocide.

Don’t look at the Banksy.

For the love of god, don’t look at the Banksy!

Analysing the image above, it looks they initially duct-taped black plastic over the piece before erecting a mini-Berlin Wall in front of it. Clearly that wasn’t enough, as pedestrians might still be able to sense the raw, unfettered symbolism behind their fortifications. Covering all bases, they instructed two of their best men to stand guard and prevent anyone from sneaking a peak.

As the day goes by, we imagine they’ll add to the defences. Perhaps they’ll construct a gun tower or arrange for an RAF flyover. Probably they should build a moat around ground zero or just vaporise it with an orbital laser. If they don’t, the risk is that someone will see Banksy’s piece and think ‘maybe we shouldn’t be criminalising people for speaking out against war crimes‘.

That wall they erected is no doubt bringing back bad memories for Banksy who completed several pieces on Israel’s ‘Segregation Wall‘ in 2005.

Segregation Wall, Cisjordânia, do Banksy ❤️ pic.twitter.com/B9DkMjWbEP

— João Cordeiro (@ortoirlandes) December 31, 2023

Segregation Wall, Palestine 2005, Banksy pic.twitter.com/9aCDcJPjLR

— Lu ★🇧🇷🇵🇸 (@lu_mtrip) November 29, 2023

You shouldn’t think about Israel segregating the Palestinian people, though, because that might lead to more thoughts and feelings, and we can’t be having that.

You especially shouldn’t think about what Amnesty international called “Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: a cruel system of domination and a crime against humanity”. Don’t think about how Israel subjected the Palestinians to decades of such conditions before October 7th either, or what you’d do if you found yourself in similar circumstances.

Missing the point on Banksy

The picture of Banksy’s latest is taken from his Instagram. When I grabbed a copy for this piece, I made the mistake of looking at the comments, and was bemused that some have assumed the piece was about the wave of flag shagging that’s swept the nation:

Obviously, it wouldn’t make sense if the guy was holding an England flag, because no is being criminalised for holding an England flag. If some meathead happens to have a St George’s cross wrapped around his neck while he commits a racially-aggravated assault, the issue isn’t the flag; the issue is the racially aggravated assault.

And let’s get something else clear; up and down the country people have sprayed crosses and hung flags wherever they like, and the authorities have mostly just left them to it. Banksy made a statement about actual oppression, and before you could shake a gavel, it was wiped from existence.

Thankfully, plenty of people did understand what they were looking at:

New Banksy is fucking nail on the head 🔨 👏

Free Palestine 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/7qsdCQtoTB

— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) September 8, 2025

Banksy’s new artwork at the Royal Courts of Justice is a judge striking a protester with his gavel with the CCTV turned away.

They've already hidden it. pic.twitter.com/Z8mxuBCAdB

— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) September 8, 2025

Defend Our Juries, one of the groups behind the recent protests, also commented on Banksy’s latest:

Banksy's work of art on the Royal Courts powerfully depicts the brutality unleashed by Yvette Cooper on protestors by proscribing Palestine Action.

When the law is used as a tool to crush civil liberties, it does not extinguish dissent – it strengthens it.

📸: @CallumJParke pic.twitter.com/uHC0RXOv0p

— Defend Our Juries (@DefendourJuries) September 8, 2025

Clearly the days of the establishment treating Banksy like a national treasure are over. As he’s always spoke out against the establishment, that can only be a good thing

Featured image via Banksy