Man with Palestinian flag comes down from London's Big Ben tower

A man who scaled Big Ben’s Elizabeth Tower carrying a Palestinian flag was brought down safely after more than 16 hours on Saturday night.

The barefoot protester climbed onto a ledge of the tower at the Palace of Westminster early in the morning, telling negotiators he would descend on his “own terms.” He had filmed his ascent and claimed he was demonstrating against “police repression and state violence.”

Emergency crews, including firefighters and police negotiators, engaged with him throughout the day.

A cherry picker crane was eventually used to bring him down safely after Big Ben struck midnight.

The Metropolitan Police were alerted to the incident at 07:24 GMT, leading to the closure of Westminster Bridge and the cancellation of Parliament tours.

Nine emergency vehicles were stationed nearby as crowds gathered behind police cordons.

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The climber, who had removed his shoes for better grip, sustained injuries to his feet, leaving visible blood stains on the stonework of the tower.

He was seen wrapping a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf around the decorative stonework while holding the flag.

Authorities are now investigating how he breached security at Parliament and assessing potential legal actions against him.