Emergency services have closed off the area around Big Ben after a man climbed one of the buildings at the Palace of Westminster. Football footage shows a barefoot man standing on a ledge with a Palestinian flag several meters up the Elizabeth Tower, which houses the iconic clock and the famous bell. At least nine emergency vehicles were stationed on Bridge Street in central London, and crowds of onlookers gathered behind a police cordon. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police stated, “At 7:24 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, officers were notified that a man was climbing up the Elizabeth Tower at the Houses of Parliament. They are working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion with assistance from the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.” Bridge Street, located at the north end of Westminster Bridge, was closed to accommodate emergency services. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade stated, “Firefighters are responding alongside the Metropolitan Police Service to reports of a person climbing the Palace of Westminster.”

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/08/area-big-ben-closed-man-palestinian-flag-climbs-elizabeth-tower-westminster-bridge