Activist with muddled message scales Big Ben: Protester climbs scaffolding to unfurl banner with BLM, LGBT, All Lives Matter and other slogans on it… while police try to coax him down
An activist began scaling the scaffolding around Big Ben in Westminster this morning, putting up banners protesting about the coronavirus lockdown.
One banner said: ‘No Tier 3 lock-down for Gt N’n Pwrhse unless an xtra £2bn for whole region from Chester, Stoke, Derby, Nott’m, Boston, Skeg’s to Scottish border. If not: Gt N’n rebellion. XR North + unions + BLM UK + LGTBQ + many more.’
Another banner, which he was pictured attaching to the scaffolding today, said: ‘Black and all lives matter so unify peoples of the world, unite and put things right.’
The activist began scaling the scaffolding around Big Ben in Westminster this morning
One of the banners (on the left) said: ‘No Tier 3 lock-down for Gt N’n Pwrhse unless an xtra £2bn for whole region from Chester, Stoke, Derby, Nott’m, Boston, Skeg’s to Scottish border. If not: Gt N’n rebellion. XR North + unions + BLM UK + LGTBQ + many more.
Another banner, which the man was pictured attaching to the scaffolding today, said: ‘Black and all lives matter so unify peoples of the world, unite and put things right’
The scene was spotted by Twitter user ‘L Zalite’, an NHS midwife who took a picture at 8.02am and tweeted: ‘How to speak up when it matters #BigBen #lockdownUK.’
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘At around 7.50am a man climbed up scaffolding surrounding the Elizabeth Tower. Officers are on scene and dealing.’
The incident raised concerns, with one Twitter user saying: ‘Great a police officer died in an terrorist attack 2017, and yet people can still get though high security.’
Another said: ‘On a serious note, this is concerning that he was able to get that far given how much of a terrorist target Westminster Palace is.
‘How does someone even get that far without being challenged? Was he not seen on CCTV? What if he was a wannabe Guy Fawkes and he had an IED?’
Big Ben is the nickname of the Great Bell in the famous clock tower, which was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
More to follow