Yesterday, an Israel-hater climbed London’s Big Ben and stayed up there for 16 hours, putting himself at risk, disrupting traffic, and wasting taxpayer money on the efforts to rescue him:
Emergency services responded to reports of a protester scaling the historic tower at 07:24 GMT. with the man barefoot and holding a Palestinian flag. He climbed several meters up the structure and refused to come down.
Authorities, including specialist officers and the London Fire Brigade, worked throughout the day to negotiate with the protester, who insisted he would descend on his “own terms.” Emergency crews eventually used a cherry picker to bring him down at midnight, just as Big Ben struck the hour.
Once safely on the ground, Westminster Police arrested the man, emphasising the complexity of the operation.
“This has been a protracted incident due to the specifics of where the man was located and the need to ensure the safety of our officers, the individual, and the wider public,” police said in a statement.
The protest led to significant disruptions such as Westminster Bridge temporarily closed, Bridge Street and one exit of Westminster Underground Station also shut down and Parliamentary tours were canceled as a security measure.
A small group of pro-Palestinian supporters stationed behind a police cordon at Victoria Embankment, chanted “Free Palestine” and “You are a hero” in support of the protester.
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Authorities have not yet disclosed the charges against the man.
The nincompoop posted footage of his shenanigans to Instagram:
Here’s hoping the next time he comes in to contact with Big Ben will be in the prison shower.
While the man’s identity has not yet been revealed, I have my suspicions.
Meanwhile, I think authorities could have convinced him to come down way earlier had they reminded him that Big Ben is “palestinian” and he was therefore desecrating a holy place with his dirty feet.
