UK: man charged after scaling iconic clock tower during pro-Palestine protest

Firefighters, using a crane, intervene with a protester who climbed the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben, at the Palace of Westminster in London, United Kingdom on March 08, 2025. [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]

A 29-year-old man has been charged after climbing London’s iconic Elizabeth Tower in the Palace of Westminster in a pro-Palestine protest, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed.

Daniel Day, from Palmerston Road in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, faces charges of “intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site.”

The incident occurred on Saturday morning, when Day scaled the tower — which houses Big Ben and arguably the most famous clock faces in the world – barefoot. After spending hours on the London landmark, he was brought down just after midnight.

Day was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday. The Elizabeth Tower is a protected site within the Palace of Westminster, where the UK’s Houses of Lords and Commons are situated. The site is monitored closely and calls have already been made to find out how the protester bypassed security so easily.

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