A painting by Banksy of a judge using a gavel to beat a helpless protester appeared on the walls of the Royal Courts of Justice before quickly being covered up by guards.
Banksy confirmed the artwork was his by posting a picture of it on Instagram on Monday morning.
Local workers said security guards were in position in front of the artwork, which is thought to be a reference to pro-Palestine protests.
One, Matteo, said he passed by at 8.30am on Monday when the guards were trying to stop people from taking pictures. More staff then arrived with supplies to cover it up.
“I think it’s disgusting that they would just cover it up,” added Matteo, who witnessed arrests at a pro-Palestine protest in London on Saturday. “They are clearly afraid of the response this will get.”
Police detained close to 900 people in the demonstration against the banning of the protest group, Palestine Action.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries, which has organised protests against the banning of Palestine Action, said: “When the law is used as a tool to crush civil liberties, it does not extinguish dissent – it strengthens it. As Banksy’s artwork shows, the state can try to strip away our civil liberties, but we are too many in number and our resolve to stand against injustice cannot be beaten.”
Banksy’s Instagram photo showed a lawyer and a cyclist passing the artwork, which is on the wall of the Queen’s Building at the court complex.
The protester lies on the ground holding a white placard with a red mark on it resembling blood.
A HM Courts and Tribunals Service spokesperson said the artwork was taken down as the court was a listed building and they were “obliged to maintain its original character”.
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Banksy, whose identity is not known, has a reputation for political works and has painted on the separation wall that Israel erected along the boundary of the occupied West Bank.
In May, he posted a picture of a work in Marseille – a stencilled lighthouse and the words: “I want to be what you saw in me.”