A man created a dramatic scene at the Palace of Westminster by climbing Big Ben while displaying a Palestinian flag, leading to an extensive response from emergency services.
Emergency services responded to a dramatic incident at the Palace of Westminster on 8 March, where a man climbed the Elizabeth Tower, famously known as Big Ben, while brandishing a Palestinian flag. The response involved both police and the fire brigade and lasted for more than eight hours.
During the incident, authorities cordoned off the road surrounding the iconic landmark to secure the area and facilitate the response. Social media footage from the scene showed the man, who was barefoot, positioned on a ledge of the tower. Reports indicated that he was live-streaming the event on Instagram, utilising a megaphone to communicate his messages to onlookers and the online audience.
The situation prompted a significant response from emergency services, who worked diligently to ensure the safety of the public during the prolonged incident. Details surrounding the motivations behind the man’s actions have not been disclosed, and police have not indicated whether any charges are being considered following the conclusion of the operation.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://news.sky.com/story/man-holding-palestinian-flag-seen-climbing-up-palace-of-westminster-13323966 – This article corroborates the incident of a man climbing the Elizabeth Tower with a Palestinian flag and provides details about the emergency response and the man’s actions during the event.
- https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/man-big-ben-elizabeth-tower-palestine-palace-of-westminster-b2711394.html – This article supports the claim that the man climbed the Elizabeth Tower, was barefoot, and held a Palestinian flag, while also detailing the extensive emergency response and road closures.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUgdljAvKGQ – This video provides visual evidence of the incident, showing the man on the ledge with a Palestinian flag and the extensive emergency response at the scene.
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news – Although not directly linked to a specific article, the BBC News website would likely cover such a significant incident at the Palace of Westminster, providing additional details and updates.
- https://www.itv.com/news – Similar to the BBC, ITV News would also cover this incident, offering further insights into the events and the response from authorities.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The incident occurred on 8 March, indicating that the information is very recent and likely not recycled from older reports.
Quotes check
Score:
0
Notes:
There are no direct quotes in the narrative to verify.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Independent, a well-known and generally reliable publication.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The incident described is plausible given the context of public demonstrations and the involvement of emergency services. However, specific motivations and outcomes are not detailed.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is recent and originates from a reliable publication. While there are no quotes to verify, the incident’s plausibility is supported by the context of emergency services involvement.
