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Banksy could be unmasked after his latest piece outside the Royal Courts of Justice has sparked a police investigation.
The artwork, which depicts a judge attacking a protester on the floor with a gavel, has been hastily scrubbed away after it appeared on Monday.
His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service confirmed they are ‘obliged to maintain the original character’ of the Grade-I listed building.
Police have confirmed they have launched an investigation into criminal damage, and if it goes to trial Banksy could have to appear in court.
Banksy confirmed the artwork is his on his Instagram, simply captioning it: ‘Royal Courts of Justice. London.’
The mural comes after some 900 people were arrested on Saturday during a protest against the government’s ban on a pro-Palestine group
Palestine Action was designated a terrorist organisation in July after two of its members broke into a British military base and sprayed red paint on two aircraft.
Could Banksy be unmasked?
The identity of Banksy, who has remained anonymous for 25 years, may be publicly revealed as police continue their investigation into criminal damage.
If it is brought to trial, the elusive artist would be required to publicly confirm his legal name in court.
The maximum sentence for damages worth less than £5,000 carry a maximum sentence of three months or a £2,500 fine.
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Who is Banksy?
Banksy emerged as a street artist in Bristol in the early 1990s.
He’s thought to have been born in the Gloucestershire town of Yate in the 1970s, starting his artistic journey in the nearby city with a politically engaged music scene.
As part of Bristol’s DryBreadZ Crew, he was influenced by other figures in the Underground Scene like 3D, also known as Robert Del Naja, a member of Massive Attack.
By the 2000s when he appeared to move to London, Banksy had swapped freehand designs for stencilled ones, allowing him to produce pieces more quickly.
Many of his murals call for peace and poke fun at authority and inequality, featuring characters like rats, police and children.
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