LONDON: Emergency services were called to the Palace of Westminster in London on Saturday after a man holding a Palestinian flag climbed up Big Ben tower, police said.
Photos show the barefoot man standing on a ledge several meters up Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben.
Westminster Bridge and a nearby bridge were closed, and several emergency services vehicles were at the scene as crowds looked on from behind a police cordon.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were at the scene “working to bring the incident to a safe conclusion,” alongside firefighters and ambulance services.
Three emergency workers were lifted up on a fire brigade ladder platform and were seen using a megaphone to speak to the man on the ledge.
Officials said tours of the Houses of Parliament were canceled Saturday because of the incident.
No other details were immediately available.