this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2025
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UK Politics

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The street artist's latest work appeared at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday and was immediately covered up by Metropolitan Police officers.

The force is now investigating the graffiti, which is on an external wall of the Queen's Building, as potential “criminal damage”.

It means Banksy, who has remained anonymous for more than 25 years, could finally be unmasked as he would be required to publicly disclose his name if brought to court.

The artwork, which shows a protester holding a white picket sign spattered with red paint, has now been concealed by large sheets of black plastic and two metal barriers.

Less than 24 hours after it first appeared on the Grade I-listed building, HM Courts and Tribunals (HMCTS) confirmed it would be removed.

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[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 9 points 6 days ago (2 children)
[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 6 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Is this actually the image now or AI?

A guy with a hammer mashing a guy with a sickle?

[–] Bloomcole@lemmy.world 7 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I made it in Krita in 2 minutes.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 2 points 6 days ago
[–] Lazylazycat@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

Ha, brilliant.

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 3 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Isn’t the painting worth more than the building now if that is a banksy? Would be dumb of them to just wash it off.

[–] addie@feddit.uk 11 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Many of Banksy's works are on random walls somewhere, in which case they would be worth more than the building they're attached to, but the law courts is an enormous grade 1 listed Victorian building in the middle of the Strand in London, filled up with expensive shit. It is worth a few quid by itself.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

No wonder they tried to remove it, it's on a grade 1 listed building.

Are people thinking that because a wealthy and well-known artist paints on a grade 1 building, we should make an exception for him?

I think it's more that people agree with the sentiment depicted and so are seeing the reaction to it as another example of people in power ignoring the situation in Gaza.

That being said, Banksy must have known that it had to be painted over, given the historical value of the building, adding another layer to the artwork itself. It's clever, and now a new piece of it's 150 year history imo

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 1 points 6 days ago

I’m sure the building could use a renovation / restoration…. Could have saved the taxpayers a big chunk of a billion dollars…. Or waist a few thousand dollars of tax payer money destroying it…

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 125 points 1 week ago (1 children)

how dare he besmirch the good name of the royal courts who stripped away rights from the british public to protest genocide

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Just to be clear.

Court do not make laws. Parliament dose. At best they interpret laws. And even then only when questionable interpretation or contradictory laws exist.

Parliament created the laws. The met enforced them. CPS decide if they go to court. From there only a jury has any nullification rights. Judges etc are required to rule based on the multiple laws created.

[–] hector@lemmy.today 7 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Their judges have made a number of decisions ensuring guilty verdicts of those accused for protesting. Climate, environmental, and anti genocide so far.

One of which forbade the accused from telling their motivation after high profile acquittals on protesters they were tring to imprison for a decade or more.

The courts of the uk are not bystanders they are active belligerants in taking away the ancient rights of English Common Law.

The English had freedom of expression to a large degree centuries before the rest of the continent. Banned books were openly sold for instance. They were allowed to criticize their leaders to a higher degree.

[–] luisgutz@feddit.uk 10 points 6 days ago

According to this report by Cray Murray, the judge and courts were not impartial, and are likely responsible for the Palestine Action being outlawed https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/arch ives/2025/07/we-accept-of-course-that-it-is-draconian-and-deliberately-so/

[–] AmazingAwesomator@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"its not my fault i shot someone, it was my job!"

-the police

[–] HumanPenguin@feddit.uk 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

How many protesters accused of supporting PA. Have actually been to court so far.

Honest question. As so for I've not seen any in the news. But may have missed a few.

I have seem the police and CPS release a lot soon after arrest. Makeing me wonder if the CPS is confident on the courts accepting the proscription.

I can see lawyers using both Starmers case during Blares government and ECHR free speech requirements to challenge the validity of the law.

PS you really do not want to go back to a time when Judges acted on their own political motives.

That opens up the court system to a fuck more injustice then it dose justice. We already see way to much prejudicial sentencing and interpretation of evidence. Historical claims womens dressed in a way that encouraged rape. Current Valuing of policemans statements over non police and racial prejudice is valuation of evidence.

Start adding an expectation for judges to judge the moral validity of laws. And it is very unlikely to go in a positive direction.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 71 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The artwork, which shows a protester holding a white picket sign spattered with red paint

They just omit the judge bludgeoning the protester with his gavel, thus CAUSING the "red paint" on the sign?

I guess they're afraid that an informed public might applaud the accuracy of Banksy's message or something like that 🤦

[–] Taalnazi@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

so the article is disingenuous indeed

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 26 points 1 week ago (2 children)

They've been trying to get ~~banksey~~ Banks ever since I recall hearing of ~~banksey~~ Banksy. May s/he ever be anonymous.

[–] als@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 1 week ago (4 children)

I was under the impression that their identity was an open secret

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago

Yeah, it's my understanding that it's reasonably common knowledge for those in the community. They don't just tell everyone, but it's like a secret that everyone knows. I don't know who it is obviously, but, assuming what I know is true, it isn't that hard to find out.

[–] theo@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

Is it?

There are so many different rumors and speculations about who it is that just adds to the anonymity.

[–] Whelks_chance@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago

I always enjoyed the rumour that it was Neil Buchanan.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 5 points 1 week ago

I missed it if it was revealed, and I'm kind of glad.

[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] ClathrateG@hexbear.net 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] Empricorn@feddit.nl 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

This reads like parodsy.

[–] huf@hexbear.net 24 points 1 week ago (5 children)

wont we all be surprised when it turns out this is banksy:

(also, hilarious that i couldnt remember his name, googled "monocle tory politician" and he was the first hit)

googled "monocle tory politician" and he was the first hit

I'm happy to report that it's the case when ducking too 😁

[–] Denjin@feddit.uk 14 points 1 week ago (3 children)

You could also have typed "tory shit cunt" and got him.

[–] Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk 2 points 6 days ago

Or 'haunted victorian pencil'.

[–] huf@hexbear.net 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

yeah but he doesnt even wear a monocle and google still got him :D

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

He looks like he does. Even Google agrees.

And duckduckgo concurs

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago

Nah. There's loads of them.

[–] Highstronaught@feddit.uk 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] JohnSmith@feddit.uk 5 points 1 week ago

That’s not Wanksy (although he is a wanker). This is wanksy

[–] casmael@mander.xyz 6 points 1 week ago

Jacob ‘cunt’ Reese mogg

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 4 points 1 week ago

God this guy is such a cunt. I wonder what he's up to these days?

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

What do they rhink they demand the person who they don't know to appear he will have to show himself? They that dumb?

[–] Mortoc@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

Banksy’s identity is privately known by enough people that can be subpoenaed to unmask them.

[–] fakeman_pretendname@feddit.uk 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I am ~~Spartacus~~ Banksy.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 8 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I am Banksy and so is my wife!

[–] glorkon@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

Welease ~~Banksy~~ Bwian!

[–] kruhmaster@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

They big mad 😂

[–] ook@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 week ago

The piece has not yet been claimed by Banksy,...

I've seen plenty of articles claiming it was?

Didn't they already do a whole movie on this?