Man Arrested After Scaling Big Ben Tower in London Protest

A man was arrested early Sunday morning after scaling the Big Ben tower at the Palace of Westminster in central London. He was barefoot and carrying a Palestinian flag.

The man, who appeared to be staging a protest, perched on a ledge several meters up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben. After a lengthy conversation with negotiators, he stepped off the building just after midnight and onto a cherry picker. He then entered a waiting ambulance.

Traffic around the Palace of Westminster came to a standstill for most of Saturday as emergency crews attempted to reach the man. Negotiators were lifted up on a fire brigade ladder platform several times before eventually persuading him to come down.

Westminster Bridge and a nearby street were closed for much of the day, and numerous emergency services vehicles were present at the scene as crowds gathered to watch. Police also blocked off all pedestrian access to Parliament Square. A small group of supporters chanted "Free Palestine" from behind a police cordon nearby.

Officials announced that tours of the Houses of Parliament were cancelled due to the incident.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the man's arrest. In a statement, they said, "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.