Francesca Gillett
BBC News
Watch: Man waves Palestinian flag as he comes down from Big Ben
A man has been arrested after scaling Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster in central London.
Emergency services were called at 07: 24 GMT on Saturday to reports of a protester who had climbed up the tower holding a Palestinian flag.
The barefoot man reached a ledge several metres up the tower and refused to leave.
Emergency crews went up in a crane to negotiate with him, and he eventually came down in a cherry picker as Big Ben struck midnight, after more than 16 hours.
Westminster Police said the man had been arrested once he reached the ground.
“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,” they added.
“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
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