 "A pro-Palestinian protester climbed atop Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster in London. AP")
A man who climbed London’s Big Ben and spent the day perched on the historic clock tower with a Palestinian flag was arrested shortly after he came down after midnight Sunday (March 9), police said.
Images from the scene showed a cherry picker lowering him to emergency crews waiting on the ground.
The Metropolitan Police said they were first alerted to the climber around 7 am GMT on Saturday (March 8). He was taken into custody after what authorities described as a “protracted incident.”
The man, barefoot and sitting on a ledge several meters up the Elizabeth Tower, remained in place despite repeated efforts by emergency crews to persuade him to descend. The tower, commonly known for its clock bell, Big Ben, is one of London’s most iconic landmarks.
Defiant protester delays arrest
Negotiators used a fire truck lift and a megaphone to communicate with the man. Video circulating on social media showed him wearing a hoodie and baseball cap, telling officials, “I will come down on my own terms.”
In the footage, police expressed concern about a possible injury, noting there was “quite a lot of blood” on his foot and that he was not dressed warmly enough as temperatures dropped after nightfall.
Journalists at the scene reported seeing the man bleeding from his foot.
Spectators gathered behind police barriers, some chanting “ Free Palestine ” and calling him a hero. Authorities had cordoned off the surrounding area, including Westminster Bridge, while the Houses of Parliament cancelled tours for the day.
Westminster police later said all roads in the area had been reopened.
Related protests in Scotland
The protest followed another pro-Palestinian demonstration Friday night, in which activists sprayed “ GAZA IS NOT 4 SALE ” in large white letters on the lawn of former US President Donald Trump’s golf resort in Scotland.
The activist group Palestine Action called it a “direct response to the US administration’s stated intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza. ”
Impact Shorts
View AllPolice Scotland said it was investigating the incident as a case of property damage.
With inputs from agencies