LONDON (AP) — Traffic around the Palace of Westminster in London came to a standstill on Saturday as emergency services tried to reach a man who climbed the Big Ben tower holding a Palestinian flag.
Photos show the barefoot man, who appeared to be staging a protest, standing on a ledge several meters (yards) up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben.
Officials said tours of the Houses of Parliament were canceled because of the incident.
Westminster Bridge and a nearby street were closed for much of Saturday and several emergency services vehicles were at the scene as crowds looked on. Police also blocked off all pedestrian access to Parliament Square.
AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on a man climbing Big Ben in London in support of Palestinians.
The Metropolitan Police said earlier that officers received reports about the man around 7 a.m. Saturday and were “working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion” alongside firefighters and ambulance services.
Negotiators were lifted up on a fire brigade ladder platform several times to speak to the man and talk him down, but the intruder remained high up the tower late Saturday.
A small group of supporters shouted “Free Palestine” from behind a police cordon nearby.
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