Man spends night on the roof of Parliament
Police, the fire brigade and ambulances were called to the scene
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 23 year-old-man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and trespassing after spending the night on the roof of Parliament.
Negotiators were called to the scene after police were made aware of the incident at around 9:15pm yesterday evening.
The man was detained at around 5am this morning and has been taken to a London police station.
Scotland Yard said that, at this stage, it was too early to know why the man had been on the roof.
London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service were also in attendance overnight.
Videos show the man, wearing a grey top and black trousers, pacing up and down between buttresses on the edge of the roof.
According to a BBC correspondent the police had been trying to talk to the man and there were occasional muffled shouts from the roof.
The rooftop has been the scene of stunts by campaign groups in the past, including activists demonstrating against plans for a third runway at Heathrow airport in 2008, and Greenpeace protesters who unfurled yellow banners reading: “Change the politics, change the environment.”
The condition of the Houses of Parliament has been called into question recently as Speaker John Bercow warned that the palace will have to be abandoned if significant repairs are not carried out. The cost to the taxpayer has been estimated at more than £3 billion.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments