A man who climbed the Big Ben tower in London holding a Palestinian flag was arrested after a 16-hour standoff on Saturday.

The man, who wore a keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern headscarf, and draped the Palestinian flag over the decorative stonework of the tower, filmed the entire incident on Instagram.

He remained perched on the ledge throughout the day, vowing to climb higher if approached, and asserting his protest against "police repression and state violence."

The man explained that he was protesting the imprisonment of activists and the government's failure to stop arms sales to Israel, which he referred to as a "terrorist state."

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He was heard chanting, "Free, free Palestine" during the incident. Photos showed him bleeding but refusing to come down, insisting that he would only descend on his own terms.

Westminster Police stated that they arrested the man once he safely reached the ground after the lengthy standoff.

They explained the prolonged operation was due to the difficult location and the need to ensure the safety of officers, the individual, and the public. The police worked alongside other agencies, including the London Fire Brigade, to resolve the situation as quickly as possible while minimizing risk.

The protest led to disruptions in the area, with the Metropolitan Police arriving around 7:20 AM local time, closing Westminster Bridge, and canceling parliamentary tours.

Negotiations with the man continued throughout the day and into the night. Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty raised questions on social media about the lack of security at the scene, given the presence of armed officers regularly patrolling Parliament. He demanded a full explanation from security authorities on how the protester managed to scale the tower despite the heavy security measures.

Source: NDTV