Revealed: £92,000 of YOUR money was lost hauling 'foolish' pro-Gaza protester down from Big Ben tower

A pro-Gaza protester who scaled Big Ben's tower lost taxpayers at least £92,000.

Daniel Day, an unemployed 30-year-old, was spared jail on Monday after scaling the iconic Elizabeth Tower in Westminster barefoot.

On Monday, Southwark Crown Court gave him a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Prosecutor Jack Guise previously detailed to the court how Day ended up shutting down much of the area around the Houses of Parliament.

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As pro-Palestine supporters began to assemble in Parliament Square, police assessed Day was "being encouraged by having a gallery to play to", he said.

As part of safety measures and efforts to deter an audience, Metropolitan Police officers shut down Bridge Street, Westminster Bridge, closed off access to Parliament Square and placed cordons on Whitehall and Victoria Embankment.

More than 2,550 Parliament tours were cancelled as a result of the reckless stunt, at a cost of £67,000.

Alison Giles, Parliament's director of security, previously told the court the sum ultimately fell on the British taxpayer "because those funds are used to offset the running costs of the Houses of Parliament".

Transport for London (TfL) also lost an estimated £25,000 in bus fares as diversions were put in place and routes cut short.

During the climb, Day's feet were seen bleeding on the historic tower's stonework, with dozens of police officers, firefighter and paramedics in attendance.

Officers had no option but to wait for him to descend from the tower as Day declared he was being "violently attacked by police" for his actions.

In video clips played to the court, he said: "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."

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Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster, said Day had "foolishly" scaled the tower on March 8, 2025.

The judge said Day had "little insight into your offending or any real remorse", but noted that he had strong personal mitigation, including his failing eyesight.

He said it was "good to see" Day had strong principles, but said it did not give him the "licence to break the law".

"You and others like you do not get to decide which laws you will follow and which laws you will break," he added.

"If that were to happen, the rule of law would break down."

Day was found guilty at trial in June of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance by sitting on the tower for 17 hours.

He also pleaded guilty to trespassing on a protected site - namely the Palace of Westminster and Portcullis House.

The pro-Gaza protester has been ordered to attend up to 20 rehabilitation days and he will be electronically monitored for four months.

In 2024, he was given a conditional discharge for failing to remove a facial disguise, and received £200 in fines in November 2024 for blocking a road during a protest.

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