A man was arrested at a protest in London after scaling Big Ben while holding a Palestinian flag

There was a significant emergency reaction after a guy climbed Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower to hold a 16-hour pro-Palestinian protest.

After leading a pro-Palestinian demonstration that lasted more than 16 hours on Saturday outside the Palace of Westminster in central London, a man was taken into custody after scaling Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower.

At 07:24 GMT, emergency personnel were called to a report of a guy carrying a Palestinian flag and barefoot making his way up the ancient tower. He ascended the building many meters and would not descend.

Over the course of the day, authorities, including the London Fire Brigade and specialized police, attempted to engage in negotiations with the protester, who maintained that he would drop on his “own terms.” At midnight, precisely as Big Ben chimed the hour, emergency personnel finally brought him down with a cherry picker.

Westminster Police highlighted the difficulty of the operation by arresting the man after he was safely on the ground.

The circumstances surrounding the man’s location and the necessity to protect our officers, the person, and the general public have made this a lengthy event, according to a statement released by the police.

Significant disturbances resulted from the demonstration, including the temporary closure of Westminster Bridge, the closure of Bridge Street and one of the Westminster Underground Station’s exits, and the cancellation of Parliamentary tours as a security precaution.

At Victoria Embankment, a small contingent of pro-Palestinian demonstrators positioned behind a police barricade screamed “Free Palestine” and “You are a hero” in support of the demonstrator.

At around 10:00 GMT, three emergency personnel were hoisted several meters up on a fire department aerial ladder platform in an effort to engage in negotiations with the man. But he stayed on the ledge, occasionally sitting with his flag and draping the tower’s ornamental masonry with a traditional Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.

The protester threatened negotiators in an Instagram video, saying, “If you come towards me, you are putting me in danger, and I will climb higher.”

Due to worries of significant disturbances, the Metropolitan Police placed limitations on protests in Parliament Square. They repositioned the protesters on an adjacent street.

Charges against the individual have not yet been made public by authorities.