Protester detained after 16-hour standoff on Big Ben with Palestinian flag

The barefoot protester filmed his climb and posted videos online.

A protester who climbed London’s iconic Elizabeth Tower, home to Big Ben, while waving a Palestinian flag, was arrested on Sunday after a tense 16-hour standoff that drew a major emergency response.

The barefoot man began his ascent early Saturday, scaling the tower’s stone facade as stunned onlookers gathered near the Houses of Parliament. Metropolitan Police said they received the first call at 7:24 a.m. (0724 GMT) and swiftly cordoned off the area, closing Westminster Bridge and halting parliamentary tours.

Authorities deployed negotiators, while the London Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service arrived with specialised equipment, including a crane, to assist in the operation.

Throughout the ordeal, the climber filmed his protest and shared videos online. “If you come towards me, you are putting me in danger and I will climb higher,” he warned in one post.

A visible bloodstain on the tower’s stonework suggested he had sustained injuries while climbing barefoot. At various points, he wrapped a Palestinian keffiyeh around the structure and chanted, “Free Palestine,” as a small group of supporters cheered from behind police barriers.

After Big Ben struck midnight, the protester agreed to descend on his “own terms” and was eventually lowered by a cherry picker before being taken into custody.

The incident has raised concerns over security at one of Britain’s most heavily guarded landmarks. Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty questioned how the man had managed to climb the structure undetected. “Where were the armed officers patrolling the estate?” he asked.

A spokesperson for Parliament said security measures are regularly reviewed but declined to comment on specific protocols.

The protest is the latest in a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have taken place across the UK in recent months.