A barefoot pro-Palestine protester remains on Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower, even after eight hours, causing the city centre to come to a standstill as crowds gather.
The man, who climbed part of the 96-metre high structure whilst waving a Palestinian flag sparked a huge emergency response this morning.
The protester was live-streaming when he took off his shoes and proceeded to smear the historic British landmark with his bloodied feet around 7.24am.
In footage uploaded to Instagram, he could be heard shouting: ‘I’m not going anywhere,’ alongside chants: ‘Free, free Palestine.’
Westminster Bridge, a crucial central London route, has been shut down. Firefighters from four different stations, police, and the ambulance service have been present at the scene for four hours.
Droves of protesters waving Palestinians gathered at the edge of the cordoned Bridge Street shouting ‘We love you’ at the top of their lungs.
Elsewhere in London the Metropolitan Police blocked pro-Palestine protestors from gathering near a central London synagogue.
Parliament tours have also been brought to a screeching halt, with a Parliamentary spokesperson confirming viewings of the estate had been cancelled today.
A Parliamentary spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an incident on the Parliamentary Estate this morning, which is being handled by the Metropolitan Police, assisted by the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.
‘Parliament takes security extremely seriously, however we do not comment on the specifics of our security measures or mitigations.
‘As a result of this incident, tours of the Parliamentary Estate today have unfortunately had to be cancelled’.
Video emerging online shows the man urging firefighters not to come and rescue him from the building, as he refuses to come down despite their efforts.
When responders tried to persuade him to come down, he shouts: ‘I’m going higher, if you come closer’.
‘At some point you will have to come down,’ a firefighter tells him in one clip: ‘How long do you think you are going to be there?’
Luke Whelan, who witnessed the incident on his way to work told MailOnline: ‘I was cycling to work when I noticed him climbing up Big Ben.
‘He looked like he was live streaming himself or on a video call or something. I assumed he was a free-runner influencer as he seemed very relaxed up there’.
Blood pouring from the protester’s injured feet could be seen, smeared on parts of the tower.
While Parliamentary tours, Westminster Bridge, and Bridge Street are closed, so too is Westminster tube station with passengers advised to use other exits.
The tube service itself has not been disrupted.
There is heavy traffic in the surrounding area due to road closures, and London bus routes 3, 11, 148, C10 and 159 are on diversion.
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘At 07:24hrs on Saturday, 8 March officers were alerted to a man climbing up the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament.
‘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.’
At around 10am on Saturday, three emergency personnel were lifted several metres up on a fire brigade aerial ladder platform with one person using a megaphone to speak to the man on the ledge.
Photographs show the man sat on the ledge with the flag and a keffiyeh wrapped around the decorative stonework on the tower.
The man was still on the ledge when the platform was lowered at around 11.45am.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: ‘Firefighters are responding alongside the Metropolitan Police Service to reports of a person climbing part of the Palace of Westminster.
‘The Brigade was first called about the incident 0732, and firefighters from Lambeth, Chelsea, Soho and Islington fire stations are at the scene.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 7.30am today (Saturday 8 March) to reports of an incident in New Palace Yard, SW1A.
‘We have sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).
‘The incident is ongoing and we are working with our emergency services partners.’
In 2019, an Extinction Rebellion activist wearing a ‘Boris Johnson’ wig was arrested after climbing the scaffolding surrounding the Elizabeth Tower.
Tree surgeon Ben Atkinson, 43, began a daring free climb of the structure shortly before 4pm on October 18, 2019.
He was stopped and brought to the ground just before 7pm that same day.
He was later found guilty of trespassing and sentenced to 250 hours of unpaid work and fines totalling to over £800.
Big Ben was built 164 years ago with construction beginning in 1843 and finishing in 1859.
