BRANCHING OUT
Protester dressed as Santa Claus climbs Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square before being arrested
The man was brandishing a newspaper with a bold headline
A PROTESTER dressed as Santa Claus climbed the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square before being arrested today.
Two Metropolitan Police officers could be seen urging the man to get down during the stunt in central London.
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The man brandished a newspaper with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's face on the front.
A headline in bold red letters read: "Put the father back into Xmas."
Cops said they were informed that the man had climbed the tree at around 9.35am on Sunday morning.
The man has since come down from the tree and was arrested at the scene.
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He was escorted to a police van where he was searched and cuffed.
Fathers4Justice, a campaign group fighting for changes in legislation on fathers' rights, claimed responsibility for the protest.
The organisation posted on X this morning: "A Fathers4Justice supporter dressed as Father Christmas has scaled the famous Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree in London.
"Trafalgar Square Closed. Police on scene trying to talk him down."
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Nicolas Wäckers, 22, from Wray in Lancashire, told The Sun: "I saw a guy dressed as Father Chirstmas hop the barrier and start climbing the tree.
"The tree is quite flimsy and started cracking. He had to stop when he got to the middle because the branches were breaking.
"He started screaming: 'Put the father back into Xmas!'
"He then started putting up posters of Keir Starmer dressed as Scrooge.
"A fire engine has been called with a cherry picker but they can't get to him due to the barriers.
"A lot of onlookers were quite confused and urged him to stop climbing the tree.
"Many didn't even realise he was in the tree. One even told him to jump."
A spokesman for the Met Police earlier said: "At approximately 09:35hrs on Sunday, 15 December police were informed that a man had climbed up a Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, WC2.
"He remains up the tree and officers are on scene monitoring the situation."
Donated to Britain by Norway, the towering tree's lights were switched on at the start of the month.
A festive fir has been donated to Britain by Norway every year since 1947.
The tradition began as a gift of gratitude after British support during World War II.
The tree is typically a 50 to 60-year-old Norwegian spruce measuring more than 20 metres in height.
It is cut down from the forests sounding the city of Oslo, sometimes months or years in advance.
It goes up at the beginning of December and is taken down around Twelfth Night - the fifth or sixth of January.
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The tree travels 550 miles across the North Sea and is held in a secret location until its unveiling.
Once in position, a specialist rigging team erects the fir into its usual spot.
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