LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - A man climbed the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, at the Houses of Parliament in London on Saturday, unfurling a Palestinian flag from the iconic landmark and drawing crowds of onlookers.
The climber, whose identity has not been confirmed, scaled the 96-meter (315-foot) tower without safety equipment and remained on the structure for approximately two hours before being detained by police.
Metropolitan Police said they were called to the scene at around 11:30 a.m. local time after reports of a person climbing the tower. The area around Parliament Square was temporarily cordoned off as a safety precaution.
"A man in his 30s has been arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site and causing a public nuisance," a police spokesperson said. "He has been taken into custody at a central London police station."
Witnesses described seeing the man climbing the tower's exterior using the ornate stonework as handholds. Videos shared on social media showed him waving a Palestinian flag near the clock face as crowds gathered below.
"It was quite extraordinary to see someone up there," said tourist Maria Lopez, who was visiting from Spain. "At first people thought it might be maintenance work, but then we saw the flag and realized it was a protest."
The incident is the latest in a series of high-profile demonstrations in London related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Last month, protesters briefly occupied the roof of the Foreign Office building, and demonstrations have been held regularly in central London.
Parliamentary authorities said there was no damage to the historic tower, which underwent extensive renovation work completed in 2022.