New Banksy mural at London’s High Court shows judge striking protester

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LONDON (Reuters) -British street artist Banksy has painted a mural on London’s High Court depicting a judge beating a protester, possibly in reaction to the arrest of hundreds of demonstrators supporting banned group Palestine Action.

The artist, whose identity has never been confirmed, published pictures of the artwork on his Instagram page on Monday.

The stencilled mural shows a bewigged judge using a gavel to hit a protester holding a blood-splattered placard who has been knocked to the ground.

It was painted after almost 900 people were arrested at a demonstration in London on Saturday against Palestine Action’s ban. That followed hundreds of other arrests of the group’s supporters in recent weeks.

Britain banned, or proscribed, Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July, making it a crime to belong to or support the group, after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged military planes.

Britain’s criminal and judicial system has come under attack from both sides of the political spectrum, with critics saying the right to peaceful protest is under threat.

Although Banksy never comments on his artwork, he has created previous work in support of Palestinian causes, including murals on the West Bank separation barrier, concentrated around Bethlehem.

London’s Royal Courts of Justice, which houses the High Court, is a Grade One-listed building, meaning it has the highest level of historical significance and protection. Photos on Monday showed barriers had already been installed around the artwork.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)