The man pictured on the Big Ben tower.
Emergency services had a long day in London after a man holding a Palestinian flag climbed up Big Ben tower on Saturday (Mar 8). The man sat on the ledge with the flag and a keffiyeh, a headdress worn by men in the Middle East, around the decorative stonework on the tower, whilst vlogging the entire incident on Instagram. It was only after 16 hours that the man came down. Westminster Police said the man was arrested once he reached the ground.
"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," read the statement.
"We worked with other agencies including the London Fire Brigade and deployed specialist officers to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible whilst minimising risk to life."
'Free Palestine'
After climbing the tower, he could be heard saying in one of the videos: "If you come towards me you are putting me in danger and I will climb higher."
He added that he was protesting against "police repression and state violence".
"Democracy is dead. We're being imprisoned for peaceful protest, civil disobedience. We're seeing climate activists receiving four to five years in prison. Now Palestine actionists are being imprisoned for doing what our government should be doing, and stopping arms to the terrorist state of Israel."
Photographs also showed him bleeding but staying put on the ledge. He told the negotiators that he would come down on his terms only.
"I'm not going anywhere. Free, free Palestine," he added.
⚡️🇬🇧🇵🇸JUST IN:
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) March 8, 2025
A British man climbed Big Ben in London, raised the Palestinian flag, and refused to come down, demanding the release of pro-Palestine detainees in Britain. Emergency services have cordoned off the area around the Palace of Westminster. pic.twitter.com/u2PHBGN581
Remember. On the spot - where today's “Pro-Palestine” attention-seeker screams and shouts across Westminster Bridge - an Islamist terrorist mowed down or stabbed 5 to death (4 civilians, 1 police officer) and injured 48 others, in 2017. pic.twitter.com/r43NCCdHi6
— Joo🎗️ (@JoosyJew) March 8, 2025
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The Met Police arrived at the scene around 7:20 AM local time and closed the Westminster Bridge whilst Parliament tours were also cancelled. Negotiations then continued throughout the day and into the night.
Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty took to X (formerly Twitter) and demanded an explanation about how the man managed to climb the tower despite heavy security.
"Every day in Parliament I see dozens of armed police officers patrolling Portcullis House and the parliamentary estate. Where were they today?" Mr Obese-Jecty wrote.
"On Monday there needs to be a full explanation to MPs and staff as to how this protester was able to evade security so easily."
