A man who climbed the lower sections of Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower at London’s Palace of Westminster early on Saturday descended after 16 hours and was arrested, British police confirmed on Sunday.
While on the tower, he waved a Palestinian flag and shouted “free Palestine,” according to British media reports.
“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 while minimizing risk to life,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated.
Emergency crews used a crane to negotiate with the man, who eventually came down after telling negotiators he would descend “on his own terms,” as reported by Sky News.
The Metropolitan Police had been alerted to the incident at 0724 GMT. In response, emergency services closed Westminster Bridge on Saturday morning, and parliamentary tours were canceled, according to Sky News. All roads were reopened following the man’s arrest, police confirmed.
