A protester waving a Palestine flag has climbed on to the roof of the Christchurch City Council building. Photo / George Heard
A pro-Palestine protester who climbed onto a roof of the Christchurch City Council building this morning has been taken into custody.
Police and firefighters rushed to the central city scene at about 11.20am after reports of a person waving the Palestine flag.
Police say they were one of “several protesters” and that they had closed off a section of Worcester Boulevard to traffic, trams and pedestrians.
Police are keeping people away as they monitor the situation.
A city council spokeswoman confirmed the protester managed to scale the lower roof of the Civic Offices.
“Police are on site and they are dealing with the situation,” she said.
A fire appliance has lifted two police negotiators and a fire officer to try and talk to the protester.
However, she was being urged not to engage with them by other protesters below.
At around 1.20pm, however, she came down from the roof and was arrested.
“Police will be interviewing the woman this afternoon and considering whether to lay charges,” a police spokeswoman said.
The annual event means closures for some lanes on the city's harbour bridge.