2008 Woodie Awards
Batman Takes Over England
Nicole D’Andrea
Issue date: 9/22/04 Section: News
On Monday, September 13th, 2004, Jason Match, 33, bypassed security and climbed up Buckingham Palace to a balcony to protest for the organization Fathers 4 Justice while dressed in a Batman costume. The protest raises concerns about the lengths royal security is taking to properly protect the royal palace.
This is currently the most covered news story in Britain. London, like New York, has greatly increased security across the city, especially national monuments like the palace where the Queen often resides. A palace spokeswoman was sure to clear this up by saying, "We've got no members of the royal family in residence." The Queen is currently on summer holiday in Balmoral in Scotland.
The protest began when the caped crusader and boy wonder jumped out of a car and had other trusty sidekicks give them a ladder. Robin was not successful in getting up the balcony, as he was stopped before he could make his way up the ladder. Batman was, therefore, left on his own to stand for about five hours, first by climbing up the side of the building, then sidestepping himself on a 16 cm (6.4 inch) ledge.
Buckingham Palace, one of London's prime tourist locations because it is the part-time residence of Queen Elizabeth, England's current monarch, was thought to be one of the most secure buildings in London, especially after the installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and additional alarms after the September 11th attacks.
John O'Conner, a former member of the Scotland Yard Flying Squad, commented on Britain's emphasis on tradition over security. He told BBC News 24 that palace security "are more concerned about the changing of the guard than taking security seriously." As a result of the event, there has been talk about firing some of the major heads of the palace security. While speaking at the Police Superintendents' Association, home security head David Blunkett said: "I'm prepared for heads to roll if the head is the person responsible for failing to do their duty."
This is currently the most covered news story in Britain. London, like New York, has greatly increased security across the city, especially national monuments like the palace where the Queen often resides. A palace spokeswoman was sure to clear this up by saying, "We've got no members of the royal family in residence." The Queen is currently on summer holiday in Balmoral in Scotland.
The protest began when the caped crusader and boy wonder jumped out of a car and had other trusty sidekicks give them a ladder. Robin was not successful in getting up the balcony, as he was stopped before he could make his way up the ladder. Batman was, therefore, left on his own to stand for about five hours, first by climbing up the side of the building, then sidestepping himself on a 16 cm (6.4 inch) ledge.
Buckingham Palace, one of London's prime tourist locations because it is the part-time residence of Queen Elizabeth, England's current monarch, was thought to be one of the most secure buildings in London, especially after the installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and additional alarms after the September 11th attacks.
John O'Conner, a former member of the Scotland Yard Flying Squad, commented on Britain's emphasis on tradition over security. He told BBC News 24 that palace security "are more concerned about the changing of the guard than taking security seriously." As a result of the event, there has been talk about firing some of the major heads of the palace security. While speaking at the Police Superintendents' Association, home security head David Blunkett said: "I'm prepared for heads to roll if the head is the person responsible for failing to do their duty."