A man climbed London’s Big Ben and stayed on Elizabeth Tower all day with a Palestinian flag. Police arrested him shortly after he came down past midnight on Sunday (March 9).
Arrest After Midnight Descent
A cherry picker lowered him to emergency crews on the ground. The Metropolitan Police received reports about him at 7 AM GMT on Saturday (March 8). Authorities called the situation a “protracted incident.”
The man, barefoot, sat several meters up on Elizabeth Tower, home to Big Ben’s clock bell. Emergency responders repeatedly urged him to come down, but he refused for hours.
Protester Resists Arrest
Officials used a fire truck lift and a megaphone to talk to him. In a social media video, he wore a hoodie and baseball cap and told authorities, “I will come down on my own terms.”
Police worried about his condition. They noted “quite a lot of blood” on his foot and that he lacked warm clothing as temperatures dropped. Journalists saw him bleeding from his foot.
Public Reaction and Lockdown
A crowd gathered behind police barriers. Some chanted “Free Palestine” and called him a hero. Police blocked off the area, including Westminster Bridge. The Houses of Parliament canceled all tours.
Later, Westminster police confirmed that roads had reopened.
Related Protests in Scotland
Another pro-Palestinian protest took place in Scotland on Friday night. Activists sprayed “GAZA IS NOT 4 SALE” in large white letters on Donald Trump’s golf resort lawn.
The activist group Palestine Action claimed responsibility. They called it a “direct response to the US administration’s stated intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza.”
Police Scotland is investigating it as property damage.
