A new artwork by renowned British street artist Banksy depicting a white-wigged judge striking a fallen protester with a gavel was discovered on Monday morning, September 8, on the facade of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, only to be almost immediately hidden from public view by authorities. The provocative piece, which shows a protester trying to shield himself with a small bloodied sign, was covered with black tarps and gray barriers guarded by two security officers by 8:30 AM to prevent passersby from viewing or photographing it.

Unlike previous instances where British authorities typically attempt to protect and preserve Banksy's works, this piece received drastically different treatment. The world-famous urban artist, whose works and legendary anonymity preserved since the 1990s attract crowds globally, confirmed his authorship of the hidden stencil artwork by posting a photograph of it on his Instagram account, which boasts over 13 million followers. The post immediately restored wide visibility to the work and quickly drew several thousand supportive comments from followers worldwide.

According to passersby interviewed by The Guardian, the artwork appears to reference a demonstration organized on Saturday, September 6, in London supporting the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, during which nearly 900 people were arrested. Since July, more than 1,600 people have been detained, with 138 charged with supporting or inciting support for the group, which was classified as a "terrorist organization" by the British government following damage committed at an air force base.

The British activist group Defend Our Juries (DOJ), which defends activists' rights and organized some of the targeted rallies, stated on Monday that Banksy's new work depicts "state brutality against protesters opposing the ban on Palestine Action." A DOJ spokesperson declared, "When the law is used as a tool to stifle civil liberties, it doesn't suppress dissent, it strengthens it. As Banksy's work shows, the state may try to deprive us of our civil liberties, but our determination to fight injustice is unshakeable."

While Banksy has indeed taken positions defending Palestinians several times throughout his career, this new work remains open to interpretation, as is often the case with his art. The stencil contains no elements specifically referencing Palestine, and the sign held by the protester is blank, which could suggest the work is intended more broadly as a plea for freedom of expression as a whole and a defense of all oppressed voices.

Authorities deny that covering the artwork constitutes censorship. A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals Service assured The Guardian that if Banksy's work was hidden, it was solely because the building in question, called the Queens Building, is classified as "Grade II" on the English national heritage list, which requires preserving its original appearance. Built in 1968, this concrete annex was covered with Portland stone, typical of major London public buildings, to harmonize with the adjacent Gothic building, which dates from the 19th century and is classified as "Grade I."

The question of freedom of expression has become increasingly sensitive in the United Kingdom, where several cases have made headlines in recent months. Last May, a report by the British organization FITA (Freedom in the Arts) titled "Afraid to Speak Freely" showed that only 16% of art professionals felt free to express their opinions on controversial subjects such as gender, racism, and colonialism, revealing a growing practice of self-censorship due to fear of retaliation.

The incident highlights the ongoing tension between artistic expression and institutional authority in the UK, particularly regarding politically sensitive topics. As debates about civil liberties and protest rights continue to intensify, Banksy's latest work serves as a powerful visual commentary on the state of free speech in contemporary Britain, regardless of whether authorities attempt to hide it from public view.