Only the earliest risers in London had a chance to see the latest Banksy artwork before it vanished. During the night from Sunday to Monday, just two days after nearly 900 people were arrested during a rally supporting the banned group Palestine Action, a new graffiti appeared on the wall of the Royal Courts of Justice in central London. The stencil depicted a judge wearing traditional robes and a wig, raising a gavel above a protester lying on his back with a blood-stained placard in hand. The renowned street artist Banksy claimed responsibility for the piece by posting a photo on his Instagram account.

Despite the graffiti artist's international fame, his latest work was quickly covered with barriers before being completely removed on Wednesday, September 10. When contacted by The Guardian, a spokesperson for the British judicial authorities explained that the artwork had to be removed because the courthouse was a listed building and they were "obliged to preserve its original character." This incident marks yet another controversial moment in the ongoing debate over what should happen to Banksy's unauthorized public artworks.

This is far from the first time that the fate of a work by the Bristol-born artist has sparked public controversy. In 2014, the appearance of a graffiti showing a group of pigeons holding anti-immigration signs reading "Migrants not welcome," "Go back to Africa," and "Keep off our worms" on a wall in the seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea ignited heated online discussions. Local authorities quickly removed the piece after receiving complaints that accused the work of being "racist," without realizing that Banksy was actually the author and was attempting to denounce the rejection of foreigners.

Even when his works don't create controversy, the very nature of Banksy's street art makes it vulnerable to destruction. Applied to streets, often illegally, his graffiti pieces are sometimes stolen, covered by other graffiti artists, or simply destroyed. In Calais, during the height of the migration crisis in December 2015, the artist had created a reinterpretation of Géricault's "The Raft of the Medusa" on a building. However, this stencil paying tribute to migrants waiting for a providential departure to the United Kingdom was erased two years later during routine building maintenance and facade renovation.

Beyond addressing the fate of migrants, Banksy regularly denounces the excesses of capitalism in his works. It's therefore not surprising that the graffiti artist opposes the commercialization of his art. In October 2018, the artist made his stance known in spectacular fashion. Just after the auction sale of his famous "Girl with Balloon," the artwork was cut into thin strips by a hidden shredder. This act of vandalism was claimed by the artist himself, who confirmed he had concealed the machine within the artwork's frame "in case it should ever be put up for auction."

However, this dramatic gesture ultimately pleased the art market rather than deterring it. The shredded artwork was resold for 18.6 million pounds (21.8 million euros) in October 2022 – more than 20 times the price of the original sale. The incident only seemed to increase the work's value and desirability among collectors.

More recently, a decision by the Italian government has raised new questions about the appropriate treatment of Banksy's works. Authorities announced in October 2023 the restoration of "Migrant Child," a tag that had been applied four years earlier along the edge of a canal in Venice. This choice irritated many in the art world, with critics arguing that street art should remain ephemeral by nature. The debate continues over whether preserving such works defeats their original purpose as temporary, unauthorized public interventions.