The Big Ben clock tower, part of the Palace of Westminster in the UK’s capital London, was illuminated in an initiative by pro-Palestinian protesters on Wednesday who projected slogans on it using lasers, including "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Thousands of people participated in the demonstration calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
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UK-based news outlet Daily Express reported that Member of Parliament Andrew Percy, one of the few Jews in the British Parliament, condemned the slogan as a "genocidal call," and warned that not enough is being done to stop attacks against Jews in the UK.
“That message says no Jew is welcome in the state of Israel or that land. This is going to continue happening because we’re not dealing with it!” he said.
According to another UK-based outlet, Daily Mail, the lights display has been causing a schism on social media, with many supporting the move while others claiming the Big Ben has been “vandalized,” accusing the UK’s Metropolitan Police of doing nothing to stop the protesters.
According to the Daily Mail, the House of Commons administration warned local officials in 2016 by then-Tory chairman of the Commons administration committee Sir Paul Beresford that Big Ben and other monumental buildings must avoid being “besmirched,” by images being projected on them.
“Everybody knows Big Ben and we don't want it besmirched with graffiti, even if it's light-placed graffiti,” Beresford said at the time.