Editing Palace of Westminster (section)

== Security ==
[[File:The Palace of Westminster - geograph.org.uk - 1408776.jpg|thumb|alt=Photograph|Concrete barriers restrict access to [[Old Palace Yard]].]]

An official known as [[Black Rod]] (officially the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, or Lady Usher of the Black Rod) oversees security for the House of Lords, while the [[Serjeant at Arms of the British House of Commons|Serjeant at Arms]] does the same for the House of Commons. These officers, however, have primarily ceremonial roles outside the actual chambers of their respective Houses. Security is the responsibility of the Parliamentary Security Director. Parliament has its own professional security force. Tradition still dictates that only the Serjeant at Arms may enter the Commons chamber armed.

With rising concern about the possibility that a vehicle full of explosives could be driven into the building, a series of concrete blocks were placed in the roadway in 2003.<ref>{{cite news |title=Security tightens at Parliament |work=BBC News |date=23 May 2003 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2931044.stm |access-date=3 December 2009}}</ref> On the river, an exclusion zone extending {{Convert|70|m|yd}} from the bank exists, which no unauthorised vessels are allowed to enter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pla.co.uk/notice2mariners/index_perm.cfm/flag/2/id/1090/site/recreation |title=Permanent Notice to Mariners P27 |publisher=Port of London Authority |access-date=3 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004200446/http://www.pla.co.uk/notice2mariners/index_perm.cfm/flag/2/id/1090/site/recreation |archive-date=4 October 2011}}</ref>

The [[Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005]] formerly made it illegal to hold a protest near the palace, or anywhere else within a designated area extending up to {{Convert|1|km|mi|1}} from [[Parliament Square]], without authorisation from the [[Metropolitan Police]]. The Act also restricted the operation of loudspeakers in the designated area.<ref>[[Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005]] (c.&nbsp;15), [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/15/part/4/crossheading/demonstrations-in-vicinity-of-parliament sections 132–138] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509185920/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/15/part/4/crossheading/demonstrations-in-vicinity-of-parliament |date=9 May 2013 }}.</ref> These provisions were repealed by the [[Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011]], which replaced them with a total ban on tents and sleeping bags in Parliament Square, as well as a prohibition on the use of loudspeakers in the Square without permission from the relevant local authority.<ref>[[Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011]] (c.&nbsp;13), [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/13/part/3 sections 141–149] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509151604/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/13/part/3 |date=9 May 2013 }}.</ref>

Members of the public continue to have access to the [[Strangers' Gallery]] in the House of Commons. Visitors pass through [[metal detector]]s and their possessions are scanned.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/security/ |title=Security information |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=5 August 2010}}</ref> Police from the Palace of Westminster Division of the Metropolitan Police, supported by some armed police from the [[Diplomatic Protection Group]], are always on duty in and around the palace.

=== Incidents ===
The failed [[Gunpowder Plot]] of 1605 was a conspiracy among a group of Roman Catholic gentry to re-establish [[Catholicism in England]] by assassinating the Protestant [[James I of England|King James&nbsp;I]] and replacing him with a Catholic monarch. To this end, they placed large quantities of gunpowder beneath the House of Lords, which one of the conspirators, Guy Fawkes, would detonate during the State Opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605. If successful, the explosion would have destroyed the palace, killing the King, his family and most of the aristocracy. However, the plot was discovered and most of the conspirators were either arrested or killed while trying to evade capture. The survivors were tortured in the [[Tower of London]], tried for [[high treason]] in Westminster Hall, convicted and gruesomely executed by [[hanging, drawing and quartering]]. Since then, the cellars of the palace have been searched by the [[Yeomen of the Guard]] before every State Opening of Parliament, a traditional precaution against any similar attempts against the Sovereign.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/g08.pdf |title=The Gunpowder Plot |date=September 2006 |publisher=House of Commons Information Office |access-date=5 August 2010}}</ref>

The [[Sir Walter Raleigh#Execution and aftermath|execution of Sir Walter Raleigh]] occurred at the palace of Westminster on 29 October 1618.

[[File:Assassination-of-spencer-perceval.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Assassination of Spencer Perceval|assassination of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval]] in 1812 in the lobby of the House of Commons]]

The previous Palace of Westminster was also the site of a prime-ministerial assassination on 11 May 1812. While in the lobby of the House of Commons, on his way to a parliamentary inquiry, [[Spencer Perceval]] was [[Assassination of Spencer Perceval|shot and killed]] by a Liverpool merchant adventurer, [[John Bellingham]]. Perceval remains the only [[British Prime Minister]] to have been assassinated.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/timelines/primeministers_pol/index_embed.shtml |title=Prime Ministers and Politics Timeline |publisher=BBC |access-date=16 May 2010}}</ref>

The New Palace became the target of [[Fenian]] bombs on 24 January 1885, along with the [[Tower of London]]. The first bomb, a black bag containing dynamite, was discovered by a visitor on the steps towards the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft. Police Constable (PC) William Cole attempted to carry it to New Palace Yard, but the bag became so hot that Cole dropped it and it exploded.<ref name="Albert Medal">{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/cultural-collections/medals/collection/albert-medal/story |title=The Albert medal: The story behind the medal in the collection |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=5 August 2010}}</ref> The blast opened a crater in the floor {{Convert|1|m|ft|0}} in diameter, damaged the roof of the chapel and shattered all the windows in the Hall, including the stained-glass South Window at St Stephen's Porch.<ref>{{Cite news |title=All England Frightened; the Damage to the Parliament Buildings Enormous |newspaper=The New York Times |date=26 January 1885 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1885/01/26/106296159.pdf |access-date=21 December 2009}}</ref> Both Cole and PC Cox, a colleague who had joined him to offer assistance, were seriously injured.<ref name="Albert Medal" /> A second explosion followed almost immediately in the Commons Chamber, causing great damage—especially to its south end—but no injuries, as it was empty at the time.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sullivan |first=T. D. |author-link=Timothy Daniel Sullivan |title=Recollections of Troubled Times in Irish Politics |year=1905 |publisher=Sealy, Bryers & Walker; M. H. Gill & Son |location=Dublin |oclc=3808618 |ol=23335082M |pages=172–173}}</ref> The incident resulted in the closure of Westminster Hall to visitors for several years; when visitors were re-admitted in 1889, it was under certain restrictions and never while the two Houses were sitting.<ref>[[#Gerhold|Gerhold (1999)]], p. 77.</ref>

On 17 June 1974, a {{Convert|9|kg|lb|adj=on}} bomb planted by the [[Provisional IRA]] exploded in Westminster Hall. The explosion and the resulting fire, which was fed by a ruptured gas main, injured 11 people and caused extensive damage.<ref>{{cite news |title=On This Day: 17 June – 1974: IRA bombs parliament |work=BBC News |date=17 June 1974 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/17/newsid_2514000/2514827.stm |access-date=2 March 2013}}</ref> Five years later, a [[car bomb]] claimed the life of [[Airey Neave]], a prominent Conservative politician, while he was driving out of the Commons car park in New Palace Yard. The attack occurred on 30 March 1979, one day after the announcement of [[1979 United Kingdom general election|that year's general election]];<ref>{{cite news |title=On This Day: 30 March – 1979: Car bomb kills Airey Neave |work=BBC News |date=30 March 1979 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/30/newsid_2783000/2783877.stm |access-date=2 March 2013}}</ref> both the [[Irish National Liberation Army]] and the Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for Neave's assassination,<ref>{{Cite news |title=From the archive: Airey Neave assassinated |last1=Pallister |first1=David |last2=Hoggart |first2=Simon |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=31 March 1979 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2009/mar/31/2 |access-date=2 March 2013}}</ref> but it is now accepted that the former were responsible.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brain |first=Timothy |title=A History of Policing in England and Wales from 1974: A Turbulent Journey |year=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=978-0-19-921866-0 |page=52}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Who are the INLA? |work=BBC News |date=11 October 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8301380.stm |access-date=2 March 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Plane Stupid on Palace of Westminster.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Plane Stupid]] activists on the roof of the Palace of Westminster]]
The palace has also been the scene of numerous acts of politically motivated "[[direct action]]", which often took place in the Chamber of the House of Commons. In July 1970, a man in the Strangers' Gallery threw two canisters of [[CS gas|tear gas]] into the Chamber to protest against the use of such gas in Northern Ireland; an MP and two members of the House's staff were taken to hospital and the sitting was suspended for almost two hours.<ref>{{Cite news |title=CS gas thrown in Commons to 'cry' of Belfast |last=Noyes |first=Hugh |newspaper=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=24 July 1970 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Hansard |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1970/jul/23/european-communities-ministerial-meeting|title=European Communities (Ministerial Meeting) |house=House of Commons |date=23 July 1970 |column=785}}</ref> In 1978, activist [[Yana Mintoff]] and another dissident threw bags of horse manure,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Northern Ireland: Ten Years Later: Coping and Hoping |magazine=Time |date=17 July 1978 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,916281,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404120150/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,916281,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 April 2008 |access-date=17 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Hansard |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1978/jul/06/scotland-bill#S5CV0953P0_19780706_HOC_246|title=Scotland Bill  |house=House of Commons |date=6 July 1978 |column_start=675 |column_end=676}}</ref> and in June 1996 demonstrators dropped leaflets.<ref name="Previous Protests">{{cite news |title=Parliament's previous protests |work=BBC News |date=27 February 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7266567.stm |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|The Member for the Isle of Wight, [[Barry Field]], subsequently commented that he was "showered by [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|national lottery]] tickets" and asked the Speaker "whether they came from that long lottery finger in the advertisement that points down to people and says, 'It could be you'&nbsp;".<ref>{{Cite Hansard |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1996/jun/12/points-of-order#S6CV0279P0_19960612_HOC_291 |house=House of Commons |title=Points of Order|date=12 June 1996 |column=323}}</ref> |group=note}} Concern about such attacks and a possible chemical or biological attack led to the installation of a glass screen across the Strangers' Gallery in early 2004.

The new barrier does not cover the gallery in front of the Strangers' Gallery, which is reserved for ambassadors, members of the House of Lords, guests of MPs and other dignitaries,<ref>See diagram of the Chamber's gallery level at {{Cite book |last=Peele |first=Gillian |title=Governing the UK |edition=4th |year=2004 |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |location=Oxford; Malden, Massachusetts; Carlton, Victoria |isbn=978-0-631-22681-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/governingukbriti0004peel/page/203 203] |url=https://archive.org/details/governingukbriti0004peel/page/203 }}</ref> and in May 2004 protesters from [[Fathers 4 Justice]] attacked Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] with flour bombs from this part, after obtaining admission by bidding for a place in the visitors' gallery in a charity auction.<ref>{{cite news |title=Blair hit during Commons protest |work=BBC News |date=19 May 2004 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3728617.stm |access-date=3 December 2009}}</ref> Subsequently, rules on admission to the visitors' galleries were changed, and now individuals wishing to sit in the galleries must first obtain a written pass from a Member certifying that that individual is personally known to them. In September of the same year, five protesters opposed to the proposed ban on [[fox hunting]] disrupted the proceedings of the House of Commons by running into the Chamber, the first such occurrence since [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]]'s unauthorised entry in 1642, which triggered the [[English Civil War]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-hunt protesters storm Commons |work=BBC News |date=15 September 2004 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3656524.stm |access-date=3 December 2009}}</ref>

The House of Lords has also been targeted by protesters. On 2 February 1988, the House debated the [[Local Government Act 1988|Local Government Bill]]'s controversial [[Clause 28]], a measure to prohibit the promotion of homosexuality in schools.<ref>{{Cite Hansard |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1988/feb/02/local-government-bill|title=Local Government Bill |house=House of Lords |date=2 February 1988 |column_start=993 |column_end=1023}}</ref> Following the [[Division of the assembly|division]], in which the clause passed, a number of lesbian demonstrators in the public gallery started chanting slogans, and three of them tied ropes to the railing and climbed down onto the floor of the Chamber.<ref name="Previous Protests" /><ref>{{Cite news |title=Rope trick ladies drop in on the Lords |last=Travis |first=Alan |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=3 February 1988 |page=1}}</ref> [[Gerard Collier, 5th Baron Monkswell|Lord Monkswell]], who had provided the women with passes to attend the debate, later apologised to the House for the incident but did not criticise the protest.<ref>{{Cite Hansard |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1988/feb/04/lord-monkswell-personal-statement|title=Lord Monkswell: Personal Statement |house=House of Lords |date=4 February 1988 |column=1183}}</ref>

Similar actions have been carried out outside the Palace of Westminster. Early in the morning of 20 March 2004, two [[Greenpeace]] members scaled the Clock Tower to demonstrate against the [[Iraq War]], raising questions about the security around such a likely target of terrorist attacks.<ref>{{cite news |title= Big Ben breach 'immensely worrying' |work=BBC News |date=20 March 2004 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3552491.stm |access-date=22 January 2010}}</ref> In March 2007, another four members of Greenpeace made their way to the palace's roof by means of a nearby crane, which was being used for repairs to Westminster Bridge. Once up, they unfurled a {{Convert|15|m|ft|-1|adj=on}} banner protesting against the British government's plans to update the [[Trident nuclear programme]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Commons crane protest at Trident |work=BBC News |date=13 March 2007 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6444619.stm |access-date=22 January 2010}}</ref>

In February 2008, five campaigners from the [[Plane Stupid]] group gained admittance to the building as visitors and then moved up to the roof to demonstrate against the proposed [[expansion of Heathrow Airport]]; from there they hung two banners they had smuggled past security. MPs and security experts found it worrying that the protesters made it to the roof in spite of the heightened security measures,<ref>{{cite news |title=Parliament rooftop protest ends |publisher=BBC News |date=27 February 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7266512.stm |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref> and the prosecution at the activists' trial argued that they may have received help from a House of Lords employee.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Five in court for rooftop protest at Westminster |last=Barkham |first=Patrick |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=13 November 2008 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/nov/13/activists-climate-change |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Five 'unfurled' Heathrow banners |publisher=BBC News |date=12 November 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7724873.stm |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref> In October 2009, at least forty Greenpeace activists climbed to the roof of Westminster Hall to call for the adoption of policies [[combating climate change]]. Some of them climbed down after nearly five hours, while the rest spent the night on the roof.{{#tag:ref|Sources differ on the exact number of demonstrators. A House of Commons spokeswoman stated that 45 people climbed to the roof,<ref name="Telegraph 2009">{{Cite news |title=Greenpeace protesters refuse to leave roof of Palace of Westminster |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=12 October 2009 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/climatechange/6303707/Greenpeace-protesters-refuse-to-leave-roof-of-Palace-of-Westminster.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/climatechange/6303707/Greenpeace-protesters-refuse-to-leave-roof-of-Palace-of-Westminster.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=3 April 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Independent 2009">{{Cite news |title=Rooftop protest continues as MPs return |last1=Sinclair |first1=Joe |last2=Hutt |first2=Rosamond |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=12 October 2009 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rooftop-protest-continues-as-mps-return-1801471.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rooftop-protest-continues-as-mps-return-1801471.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="Guardian 2009">{{Cite news |title=Greenpeace protesters spend night on parliament roof |last=Pidd |first=Helen |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=12 October 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/oct/12/greenpeace-westminster-roof-protest |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref> and a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said that 20 climbed down on the first day,<ref name="Telegraph 2009" /><ref name="Independent 2009" /> but 31 activists stayed there overnight according to Greenpeace,<ref name="Guardian 2009" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Parliament rooftop protest ends |publisher=BBC News |date=12 October 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8301586.stm |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref> and the BBC later reported that 54 people were charged with "trespassing on land designated a protected site".<ref>{{cite news |title=Parliament rooftop protest leads to 55 charges |publisher=BBC News |date=12 March 2010 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/8565359.stm |access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref> |group=note}}

On 22 March 2017 an [[Islamic terrorism|Islamist]]-related terror attack was carried out in which [[2017 Westminster attack|a man stabbed a police officer]] after ploughing into pedestrians on [[Westminster Bridge]]. Five people were killed, including the attacker and the police officer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39359158|title=London attack: Four dead in Westminster terror incident|publisher=BBC News|date=22 March 2017}}. A colleague of the officer who was stationed nearby was armed and shot the attacker.</ref> In August 2018 there was [[2018 Westminster car incident|another attack]], treated by prosecutors as terrorism.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45180120 |title=Westminster car crash: Man arrested on suspicion of terror offences |publisher=BBC News |access-date=14 August 2018|date=14 August 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Westminster car crash: Suspect appears in court |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45247289 |access-date=20 August 2018 |publisher=BBC News |date=20 August 2018 |quote=Three people were injured in the incident on 14 August, which is being treated by prosecutors as terrorism.}}</ref>

On 1 April 2019, a group of environmental protestors from the group [[Extinction Rebellion]] stripped semi-naked in the public gallery during a [[Brexit]] debate and glued themselves to the handrail and glass screen with their buttocks facing the Commons Chamber.  MPs attempted to continue the debate, some of them incorporating puns and references to nakedness into their speeches, to much hilarity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Semi-naked climate protesters disrupt Brexit debate |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/01/semi-naked-climate-protesters-disrupt-brexit-debate |access-date=15 September 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=1 April 2019 |quote=Activists spent almost 20 minutes with their hands glued to the public gallery and buttocks facing the chamber.}}</ref>

There have been four fires on the Palace of Westminster site during 2019, and eight in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/foi-and-eir/commons-foi-disclosures/estates-information/fires-2019/|title=Fires (2019)|publisher=UK Parliament|access-date=12 October 2020}}</ref>

In 2022, the body of the late Queen Elizabeth was left inside the hall for people to pay their respects. A man decided to jump the barriers and pull away the flag draped over the coffin. He was detained and taken away by police and officials.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/united-kingdom/man-arrested-by-police-after-rushing-towards-queen-elizabeth-iis-coffin-trying-to-pull-royal-standard-flag-off-casket/news-story/9ef2a8ea0ec3c72c1f2fd723a1bb9a33?amp | title='Happened so fast': Horror as man is tackled after rushing at Queen's coffin | date=16 September 2022 }}</ref>