Barefoot Big Ben protester waves Palestinian flag as he is brought down by rescuers in crane after clinging onto Elizabeth Tower for 16 hours
A barefoot pro-Palestine protester has been brought down from Big Ben's iconic Elizabeth Tower after a dramatic 16-hour standoff.
Footage from the scene showed rescuers using a cherry-picker to reach the individual, who had been perched on the stone ledge of the tower.
As he was lowered, the protester waved a Palestinian flag to cheers from the crowd gathered below.
The Metropolitan Police's Westminster team said the man was arrested after he was brought to the ground.
It said in a statement: 'We worked with other agencies including the London Fire Brigade and deployed specialist officers to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible whilst minimising risk to life.'
The activist had sparked a major emergency response earlier when he climbed part of the 96-meter-high structure while waving the flag.
At around 7.24am, he live-streamed his act of defiance, removing his shoes and smearing his bloodied feet across the tower's stone.
In the video posted to Instagram, the protester defiantly declared, 'I'm not going anywhere,' while chanting 'Free, free Palestine.'
The dramatic scene prompted the closure of Westminster Bridge, a key London route, as firefighters from four stations, along with police and ambulance services, rushed to the scene throughout the day.
As negotiations unfolded, the protester told officials he would only come down on his own terms.
Negotiators on an aerial ladder raised concerns about his injured foot, noting there was 'quite a lot of blood' and expressing worries that his clothing was insufficient as temperatures dropped.
However, the protester insisted: 'I'm safe. If you come closer, I'll climb higher.'
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters gathered nearby, waving Palestinian flags and chanting messages of support, including loud shouts of 'We love you!' directed at the man perched on the landmark.
Meanwhile, in other parts of London, the Metropolitan Police worked to block pro-Palestinian demonstrators from gathering near a central London synagogue, and tours of the Parliamentary Estate were suspended due to security concerns.
A parliamentary spokesperson confirmed the incident was being handled by the Metropolitan Police with the assistance of the London Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service.
'We are aware of an incident on the Parliamentary Estate and are working with emergency services to manage the situation. As a result, tours of the Estate have been cancelled,' they said.
In the live-streamed footage, the protester was heard urging the firefighters not to approach.
As one of the responders attempted to persuade him to come down, the protester shouted: 'I'm going higher if you come closer.'
A firefighter could be seen asking: 'How long do you think you are going to stay up there?'
The protester's feet, smeared with blood, were clearly visible as he clung to the tower, the Palestinian flag held tightly in one hand.
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'.
While Westminster Bridge and nearby areas, including Bridge Street and Westminster tube station, were closed to the public, the London Underground itself remained operational, though some bus routes faced diversions.
A spokesperson for the Met Police confirmed that officers were first alerted at 7.24a.m. on Saturday, March 8.
At around 10am, emergency services attempted a rescue with the help of an aerial ladder platform, lifting personnel up to negotiate with the protester.
Photographs showed 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.
Firefighters from stations including Lambeth, Chelsea, Soho, and Islington were on the scene, working alongside police and ambulance teams.
The London Ambulance Service confirmed that they were also in attendance from 7.30am, with a crew, an incident response officer, and a hazardous area response team (HART) dispatched to assist.
Big Ben, an enduring symbol of London, was completed in 1859, after over a decade of construction.
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'.
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.
