Police were called to the Palace of Westminster this morning after a man was seen climbing Big Ben.
Officers were alerted at 7.24am and attended the scene along with the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service. Bridge Street, near Westminster Bridge, was closed to allow emergency services to respond.
A video on social media shows the man barefoot, holding onto the Elizabeth Tower while holding a Palestinian flag. Another video recorded from his perspective captures him saying, “I’m not going anywhere,” and chanting “Free, free Palestine.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Officers are at the scene working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. They are being assisted by the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.
“Bridge Street, which is at the north end of Westminster Bridge, is closed to allow the emergency services to deal with the incident.”
A fire engine has lifted a cherry picker to the same height as the man on the tower. Three people on the platform are talking to him, trying to persuade him to come down. The man is a few feet away from them, and it is thought he may have hurt his foot.
The man eventually came down just before midnight and was subsequently arrested by Met Police.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
