A man who climbed the BigBen holding a Palestinian flag to demanding the release of the Filton 18 political prisoners from Palestine Action in London, United kingdom. Photo courtesy of Social media.
The Filton 18 were arrested following a direct action at an Elbit Systems facility in Filton, Bristol, where six Palestine Action activists destroyed quadcopters and drones.
Founded in 1966, Elbit Systems reportedly supplies around 85 percent of the Israeli military’s land and air munitions.
Standing barefoot on a ledge several metres above the ground, the protester also called for an end to police violence against demonstrators and freedom for Palestine.
“Free Free Palestine, Free the Filton 18!” he shouted, waving the Palestinian flag.
Palestine Action says the 18 are imprisoned under counter-terrorism laws for allegedly causing millions of pounds in damages to the arms supply chain used in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
When asked about coming down, the activist firmly responded, "I’m not going anywhere, I’m staying up here. While they’ve got our political prisoners locked up, I’m staying up here."
The BBC reported that the Metropolitan police were called to the Palace of Westminster after a man was seen climbing the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben.
The broadcaster said at least nine emergency vehicles were seen on Bridge Street in central London as crowds gathered behind a police cordon.
Police confirmed that Bridge Street, at the north end of Westminster Bridge, was closed to allow emergency services to respond. Westminster Bridge was also shut, according to the Met.
The BBC reported that a London fire brigade spokesperson said crews from Lambeth, Chelsea, Soho, and Islington fire stations were deployed alongside police.
The London ambulance service also responded, sending an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, and its hazardous area response team members to the scene.
A user on X posted a video showing a ladder raised next to the tower as emergency workers urged the activist to climb down.
The Israeli war on Gaza has killed nearly 48,000 Palestinians, reduced the territory to rubble, displaced 90 percent of Gazans at least once, and pushed more than 2 million to the brink of famine.
It was not immediately clear who the activist was or whether he was detained.
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