Banksy Could Be Forced to Reveal Identity as UK Police Probe Latest Artwork

(Press Association via AP Images)

Street artist Banksy’s decades-long anonymity may be at risk after UK police launched a criminal damage investigation into his latest mural outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London that appeared Monday morning.

The black-and-white spray-painted image depicts a judge beating a protester, holding a blood-splattered sign, with his gavel.

The image appears to be a commentary on the arrest of demonstrators backing the direct action network Palestine Action, recently banned as a terrorist organization by the UK government.

On Tuesday, however, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are treating the mural as potential “criminal damage.” Should charges follow, the famously anonymous artist could be compelled to reveal his identity in court after more than 25 years of secrecy.

Charges are made more serious by the Grade I listed heritage designation of the building, comparable to a U.S. site with both federal landmark status and maximum preservation protections.

Within hours of its discovery, tourists and members of the public descended on the location in central London to take pictures of the artwork before security guards quickly cordoned off the work, shielding it with plastic sheeting and metal barriers.

His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), the UK government agency that oversees the courts, told The Telegraph that the mural would be removed.

Speculation around Banksy’s identity has swirled since his first works appeared in the late 1990s.