Pro-Palestinian protestor who climbed Big Ben tower convicted of causing a public nuisance

A pro-Palestinian protestor, who climbed part way up Elizabeth Tower (which houses Big Ben) has been convicted of causing public nuisance.

Daniel Day, 30, of Southend on Sea, trespassed on the parliamentary estate by climbing over railings on Bridge Street, at 7:20am on 8 March 2025. Having scaled the tower barefoot until he was a considerable height, he remained there for approximately 15 hours. Footage and pictures of the incident show Day holding a keffiyeh as well as a Palestinian flag.

Day, who had denied the charge, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday. A jury had previously been told by Alison Giles, Parliament’s director of security, that the estimnated financial impact of Day’s disruption was £67,000, which she described as “ultimately…[a cost to] the British taxpayer because those funds are used to offset the running costs of the Houses of Parliament”.

A significant number of members of the emergency services attended the area. A cherry picker containing a police negotiator was also used, with mattresses placed at the base of the tower in case the protestor fell.

David Matthew, prosecuting, told the court at the opening of the trial that there had been “serious disruption” in the vicinity, with emergency service attendance in response to Day’s actions “blocking up what is a major part of the central London road network”.

Matthew said that “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 also described how other pro-Palestinian protestors had shown up to express support for Day, and that “some of the people on the road thought it sensible to obstruct the fire engines.”

In his closing speech, Matthew told jurors that “the act of climbing the tower and staying there was obstructive to a section of the public, using the road in a way that they were absolutely entitled to do.

“He clearly knew as the day wore on that that was at least in part down to him.

“He doesn’t have a reasonable excuse. That means he was guilty of the offence of causing a public nuisance.”

Laura O’Brien, acting for the Defendant, told jurors that “Mr Day did not expect his actions to be disruptive.

“There were things he felt strongly enough about to want to take action. Things that affected people on the other side of the world and here in the UK.

“You may think that the obstruction to the road was caused not by the actions of Mr Day but by the police response to crowds and other members of the public.”

The count of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance carries a maximum term of ten years imprisonment. Day will be sentenced at a later date.