Man arrested after climbing Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower
BBC News
A man was arrested after scaling at Elizabeth Tower of the Big Bell in Westminster Palace in central London.
Emergency services were called on Saturday at 07:24 GMT to report a protester climbing a tower holding a Palestinian flag.
The barefoot man arrived at the ledge several meters above the tower and refused to leave.
The emergency crew got on the crane to negotiate with him, and at midnight in Big Ben, he ended up falling among the cherry pickers for more than 16 hours.
Westminster police said the man was arrested once he reached the ground.
They added: “This is a protracted event due to the details of the person’s location and the need to ensure the safety of our officials, individuals and the wider public.”
“We work with other agencies, including London Fire Brigade and expert officials deployed, to get this incident close as quickly as possible while minimizing life risks.”
The incident resulted in the closure of Westminster Bridge, one of the exits to Westminster Underground Station and Bridge Street.
Trips to the Parliament Manor were also cancelled.
A parliamentary spokesman said: “This incident is under review and lessons will be learned from it.”
Around GMT, three first responders were lifted on a fire brigade’s aerial ladder platform, one of whom spoke to the man on the ledge using a megaphone.
The negotiations then continued through late at night.
ReutersIn a video posted on Instagram on Saturday night, protesters can be heard telling negotiators that he would drop with his own “terms.”
Hearing the man say, “If you walk towards me, you put me in danger and I will climb higher.”
Photos throughout the day show him sitting on the ledge and wrapped in a traditional Palestinian Keffiyeh scarf on the decorative stone on the tower.
The shouts of “Free Palestine” and “You are a hero” can be heard from a small group of supporters who are fixed behind police officers on the Victoria Embankment.
The Metropolitan said officers imposed conditions for protests near the Parliament Square to prevent serious damage.
This means pro-Palestinian protesters have been ordered to move to a nearby street.
EPA
