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An activist dressed as Spiderman was arrested today after climbing a scaffold next to Big Ben in London, putting up banners protesting the coronavirus lockdown.
The man appeared to be urging the government to grant the North of England additional £ 2bn funding before placing the areas on the “very high” alert level of level three.
The unidentified protester in his 60s referenced the need for additional support for players including Chester, Stoke, Derby, Nottingham, Boston and Skegness.
It also included the names of activist groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter on its banners, which were unfolded shortly before 8 a.m. today.
A protester dressed in a Spiderman costume climbs a section of scaffolding in London today
The activist began climbing the scaffolding next to Big Ben in Westminster this morning.
Shortly before 10 a.m., he came downstairs before being arrested on suspicion of burglary under section 128 of the Serious Organized Crime and Police Act of 2005.
The man is not believed to have had access to the Big Ben site at any time.
A banner read: ‘No Level 3 lockdown for Gt N’n Pwrhse unless an extra £ 2 billion for the entire region from Chester, Stoke, Derby, Nott’m, Boston, Skeg’s to the Scottish Borders. If not: Gt N’n rebellion. XR North + unions + BLM UK + LGTBQ + many more ‘.
Another banner, which was photographed today attached to the scaffolding, read: “Black and all lives matter, so unify the peoples of the world, unite and fix things.”
The scene was seen by Twitter user ‘L Zalite’, an NHS midwife who took a photo at 8.02am and tweeted: ‘How to speak when it matters #BigBen #lockdownUK’.
A Scotland Yard spokesperson said at 10:48 am today: “ The man, in his 60s, got off at around 9.45 am
Another banner, which the man was photographed taped to the scaffold today, read: ‘Black and all lives matter, so unify the peoples of the world, unite and fix things’
The man included the names of activist groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Black Lives Matter on his banners, which were unfolded shortly before 8 a.m. today.
“He was reviewed by the London Ambulance Service before being arrested on suspicion of burglary under Section 128 of the Serious Organized Crime and Police Act 2005.”
It followed an earlier statement, which read: ‘Around 7:50 a.m. M., A man climbed onto the scaffolding surrounding the Elizabeth Tower. There are officers on the scene and negotiating.
A UK Parliament spokesperson said: “We are aware of an intruder on the parliamentary estate who is being dealt with by the Metropolitan Police and the Department of Parliamentary Security.
‘Parliament takes security very seriously. A review is underway, the results of which will not be disclosed for security reasons. “
The incident raised concerns, with one Twitter user saying: ‘Great, a police officer was killed in a terrorist attack in 2017, and yet people can still bypass high level of security.’
Another said: ‘On a serious note, this is concerning that it has been able to come this far given that the Palace of Westminster is a terrorist target.
‘How can someone get this far without being challenged? Wasn’t it seen on CCTV? What if you were a Guy Fawkes wannabe and had an improvised explosive device?
One of the banners (on the left) read: ‘No Level 3 lockdown for Gt N’n Pwrhse unless an extra £ 2 billion for the entire region from Chester, Stoke, Derby, Nott’m, Boston, Skeg’s to the Scottish Borders. If not: Gt N’n rebellion. XR North + unions + BLM UK + LGTBQ + many more.
The protester, whose name is unknown, referenced the need for additional support for players such as Chester, Stoke, Derby, Nottingham, Boston and Skegness.
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell on the famous clock tower, which was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Scaffolding has hidden the roof of the Elizabeth Tower for three years amid extensive renovations to the 177-year-old structure that began in 2017.
But the scaffolding that hides the roof is now in the process of being torn down, revealing 3,433 cast-iron tiles that were removed and repaired.
Work continues on the remainder of the structure and the £ 80 million restoration project is expected to be completed next year despite the cost increasing by a third.
