Big Ben protester handed suspended sentence for 17-hour climb
Daniel Day scaled Elizabeth Tower in pro-Palestine demonstration
A pro-Palestine protester who climbed Big Ben and staged a 17-hour protest has avoided jail, receiving a suspended sentence instead.
Daniel Day, 30, triggered a major emergency response in Westminster after scaling the Elizabeth Tower on 8th March last year.
The protest caused road closures and disrupted local activities, costing taxpayers at least £92,000.
Day livestreamed his actions on Instagram, unfurling a Palestinian flag and chanting "Free Palestine."
Judge Tony Baumgartner, sentencing at Southwark Crown Court, condemned Day's actions as "well-planned offending" and handed him a 14-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
Despite noting Day's "little insight into your offending or any real remorse," the judge recognised his failing eyesight and lack of further offences as mitigating factors.
Day was ordered to attend up to 20 rehabilitation days and will be electronically monitored for four months.
"You and others like you do not get to decide which laws you will follow and which laws you will break," said the judge, emphasising that the protester's principles do not permit unlawful actions.
Day, found guilty of causing a public nuisance and trespassing on a protected site, carried out significant prior research before commencing the climb, equipped with livestreaming equipment.
His protest gathered support in Parliament Square, resulting in extensive police and emergency response efforts.
The disruption led to bus diversions and cancellations of over 2,500 Parliament tours, causing financial loss.
Day's previous encounters with the law regarding protest activities include a conditional discharge and fines.
He embraced supporters after receiving his suspended term.