A man has been taken into custody after an extraordinary 16-hour standoff during which he remained barefoot and held a Palestinian flag while perched atop the iconic clock tower of Big Ben.
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Photographs capturing the scene revealed the moment when emergency teams utilized a cherry picker to gently lift the man from his precarious position.
Emergency responders worked diligently at the location, supported by an extensive presence of uniformed police officers maintaining a cordoned-off area that extended from Bridge Street to Westminster Bridge. The scene saw the deployment of two aerial ladder platforms, an ambulance from the incident response unit, along with standard ambulances and two fire engines late yesterday.
A statement from the authorities read: “The man has now been arrested. This has been a protracted incident due to the specifics of where the man was located, and the need to ensure the safety of our officers, the individual, and the wider public.” The statement further emphasized, “We collaborated with other agencies including the London Fire Brigade, deploying specialist officers to resolve this incident efficiently while minimizing risk to life.” Finally, they confirmed, “We have been in close liaison with the Parliamentary Estate throughout, and all roads have since been reopened.”
In a video shared on Instagram last evening, the individual addressed negotiators from his perch, asserting his intention to come down “on his own terms.” During the footage, negotiators expressed concern for a foot injury, observing, “There is quite a lot of blood,” and remarked on the inadequacy of his clothing as temperatures dropped post-sunset. Yet, the man maintained his stance: “I will come down on my own terms. I have said this. But right now, I am saying I am safe.” As tensions simmered, he added, “If you come towards me, you are putting me in danger, and I will climb higher.”
In the afternoon hours, cheers of “Free Palestine” and “You are a hero” resonated from a small gathering of supporters gathered behind the police cordon at Victoria Embankment. Earlier in the day, social media videos showed the man scaling a fence surrounding the Houses of Parliament, with no security personnel intervening.
Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty took to social media platform X, demanding accountability regarding how the man accessed the parliamentary estate. He remarked, “Every day in Parliament, I see dozens of armed police officers patrolling Portcullis House and the parliamentary estate. Where were they today?” He insisted, “On Monday, there needs to be a full explanation to MPs and staff regarding how this protester was able to evade security so easily.”
A wave of pro-Palestine demonstrators also gathered in Whitehall, lending their support to the man who had scaled Big Ben.
In light of the incident, parliamentary tours—typically conducted on Saturdays when Parliament is in session and weekdays during the summer recess—were canceled. A parliamentary spokesperson commented, “We are aware of an incident on the parliamentary estate, which is being handled by the Metropolitan Police, assisted by the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.” The spokesperson added, “Parliament takes security extremely seriously; however, we do not comment on the specifics of our security measures or mitigations.”
Meanwhile, London bus routes 3, 11, 148, C10, and 159 were diverted as road closures remained in effect. This incident isn’t the first of its kind; back in 2019, an Extinction Rebellion activist dressed in a blonde wig was arrested after climbing the scaffolding surrounding the clock tower. That event drew attention when tree surgeon Ben Atkinson scaled the same scaffold while impersonating Boris Johnson, donning a wig, shirt, jacket, and tie, before descending three and a half hours later as police intervened.
In moments like these, we are reminded of the delicate balance between protest, public safety, and the security measures in place to protect both individuals and the public.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring.
