Eleven people have been arrested after activists scaled columns outside the British Museum in a protest against its BP sponsorship.
Greenpeace activists launched the demonstration at the front of the British Museum around 9.30am this morning calling on the museum to drop the firm's sponsorship of its latest exhibition Sunken Cities.
The museum was evacuated while police dealt with the incident.
Metropolitan Police officers were on the scene while the protest took place. This afternoon a spokesman said 11 people had been arrested for aggravated trespass.
A Met Police spokesman said: “After unfurling banners, the protesters came down from the building safely of their own accord.
“The last protester came down at approximately 2.10pm. The banners remain on the building.”
Onlookers took to social media to post pictures of the protesters climbing the columns this morning.
Toronto university professor Seamus Ross, 58, was visiting attending the first day of the Sunken Cities exhibition when it was evacuated.
He told the Standard: “The activists are dropping the banners down now. Police have cordoned it all off.
“A couple of ambulances have arrived in case someone gets hurt and fire trucks.
“Security check your bags on the way in but how they missed 14 protesters with backpacks, ropes, hard hats, and banners – it’s just unbelievable.
“While one may be sympathetic to Greenpeace’s cause, it’s really unfortunate as there are many people here who have lost their only chance to see the exhibition.”
The museum was reopened around 2.15pm and there were no-one was injured during the protest.
MORE ABOUT