Palestine protester ’caused serious disruption by climbing Big Ben’
Daniel Day, 30, denies intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance by climbing the Elizabeth Tower, often referred to as Big Ben last year
A pro-Palestine protester caused “serious disruption” by climbing Big Ben barefoot and sitting on the London landmark for more than 15 hours, a court has heard.
Daniel Day, 30, denies intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance by climbing the Elizabeth Tower, often referred to as Big Ben, on March 8 last year.
Day, of Palmerston Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, is accused of scaling the Elizabeth Tower in Westminster, London, at around 7.20am on March 8 and not coming down until after midnight.
Prosecutor David Matthew told Southwark Crown Court that Day’s actions triggered an emergency services reaction which caused “serious disruption”, including Westminster Bridge being shut.
Mr Matthew said Day “succeeded in blocking up what is a major part of the central London road network”.
CCTV played in court showed Day, wearing a black coat and a baseball cap, using his hands to scale the building while holding a Palestine flag.
In videos from Day’s Instagram account shown to jurors, the protester can be heard shouting “free Palestine”, “from the river to the sea” and “Israel is a terrorist state” from the side of the Elizabeth Tower.
In the video clips, which were livestreamed from his account, Day said: “We’re being violently attacked by police for peaceful protest.
“That’s why I’m taking action at the so-called hub of democracy today.”
The defendant shouted to those below: “Listen, no police are to come anywhere near me. If you come too close, I’m going higher.
“I’m here peacefully, I’m here to harm nobody.”
In another video, Day said: “I’m safe as houses up here. I’m on this ledge thing that I’ve accidentally covered in blood from a tiny little cut on my foot.
“It was easier to climb barefoot than in my trainers, so I kicked them off halfway.”
Opening the trial on Monday, Mr Matthew told jurors: “He managed to stop any of the shops in the area carrying on their business and having customers.
“A lot of buses run through the area and all their passengers had to change their route.
“The tours of the Palace of Westminster were stopped.
“It also required police officers to be dragged from different areas of London.”
The prosecutor added: “Much of this was entirely visible to Daniel Day.
“He must have been able to see what was happening to the traffic.
“He was asked to come down.
“He said he wouldn’t.
“He decided to launch verbal attacks on the police.
“He was clearly pleased with what he achieved.
“He was sending out messages and film on his Instagram account.”
The prosecutor said Day climbed over railings by the Houses of Parliament and then “climbed well and got a good way up” on the north side of the tower before waving a Palestine flag.
Day then spent around an hour trying to climb round the corner to the west side of the tower which faces Parliament Square, the court heard.
Mr Matthew said Day “then climbed up further and found a ledge on a corner of the clock tower, Big Ben, he could sit on” and stayed there for the next 15 hours.
The court heard that Day took his shoes off and his feet were bleeding on to the stone.
Mr Matthew said Day’s actions put police in a “difficult position”.
The prosecutor told jurors: “They obviously had to try to get him down, but without injuring him.
“Any fall from the height that he was at could have killed him and indeed anyone who was trying to get him off the tower.
“Effectively they had no choice but to wait for him to agree to come down.”
The prosecutor said Day “had a gallery to play to” as there were other people in Westminster who wanted to show support for Palestine.
The prosecutor said “some of the people on the road thought it sensible to obstruct the fire engines”.
The court heard that police then blocked off Bridge Street, before shutting down Westminster Bridge, closing traffic and pedestrian access off the Embankment, and closing parts of Parliament Square at times.
Day did not agree to come down until just after midnight – 12 hours after a cherry picker provided by the fire service had arrived at the scene.
He was arrested by police once on the ground.
The trial continues.
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