Protester dressed as Santa Claus climbs Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square – with a message for Keir Starmer
A PROTESTER dressed as Santa Claus has climbed the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square today.
Two Metropolitan Police officers could be seen urging the man to get down during the stunt in central London.
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.
Fathers4Justice, a campaign group fighting for changes in legislation on fathers’ rights, claimed responsibility for the protest.
The organisation posted on X: “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.”
A spokesman for the Met Police 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.”
Nicolas Wackers, 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 craking. He had to stop when he got to the middle.
“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.”
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.
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.