A man who partially ascended the ‘Big Ben’ clock tower at London’s Palace of Westminster on Saturday morning and remained there throughout the day as part of a pro-Palestinian demonstration appeared in court on Monday.
Daniel Day, 29, was seen holding a Palestinian flag as he climbed 25 meters (82 feet) up the structure, officially named the Elizabeth Tower, around 7:20 a.m. on Saturday. He stayed there for 16 hours before agreeing to descend, as reported by his lawyer and prosecutors at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.
He has since been charged by police with climbing and occupying the tower, actions that allegedly posed “a risk or caused serious harm to the public,” as well as trespassing on a protected site.
Prosecutors indicated that Day’s actions resulted in significant disruption in central London, leading to road closures, bus diversions, and the cancellation of parliamentary tours, which incurred costs of £25,000 ($32,300).
Day’s attorney stated that he intends to plead not guilty to the first charge, asserting that his actions aimed to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza and the UK’s response.
The second charge of trespass requires authorization from the attorney general, prompting the case to be adjourned until March 17 for further consideration.
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Day, who hails from a coastal town in eastern England, was remanded in custody, with supporters cheering and chanting “Hero” and “Free Palestine” as he was escorted away.
Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, located within the Palace of Westminster, has requested a review of the incident.
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