The Big Ben clock tower, part of the Palace of Westminster in the British capital, London, was lit up on Wednesday at the initiative of pro-Palestinian protesters, who used a laser to mark the clock tower with the words “From the River to the Sea”. Slogans such as “Palestine will change” were projected. free. ” Thousands of people took part in demonstrations calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The UK-based news agency Daily Express reported that Andrew Percy, one of the few Jews in the British Parliament, condemned the slogan as a “call for genocide” and called for an end to attacks on Jews in the country. The report warned that not enough measures were being taken. England.
“The message says Jews are not welcome in the State of Israel or the land. This problem will continue to occur because we are not addressing it!” he said.
The lighting display has caused division on social media, with many supporting the move, while Big Ben has been “vandalized”, according to another UK-based news outlet, the Daily Mail. Some have accused the Metropolitan Police of not doing anything to stop it. protesters.
According to the Daily Mail, in 2016, the House of Commons Executive, then Conservative Party Chairman of the House of Commons Administration Committee Sir Paul Beresford, warned local authorities that images of Big Ben and other monumental buildings were being projected. He warned that people should avoid being “contaminated.”
Mr Beresford said at the time: “We all know Big Ben and we don’t want it to be defaced with graffiti, even if it’s just light graffiti.”