The British Museum was briefly evacuated Saturday after staff discovered what was described as a “suspicious device” inside a restroom, prompting a police response at one of the world’s most visited museums.
The Metropolitan Police were called to the museum’s Bloomsbury headquarters around 2:50 p.m. local time after reports of a suspicious package, according to The Independent. Officers investigated the object and later determined it posed no threat. Visitors were allowed back into the museum shortly after 4 p.m. and normal operations resumed.
In a statement, the museum said it had also received what it described as “malicious communications” before the evacuation.
“The safety and security of our visitors, colleagues and volunteers is always our highest priority,” a museum spokesperson told The Independent, thanking visitors and staff for their cooperation during the evacuation. The museum declined to elaborate on the nature of the communications, citing the ongoing police matter.
The incident unfolded at one of Britain’s busiest cultural institutions. The British Museum welcomed more than six million visitors last year, making it one of the most visited museums in the world.
Saturday’s evacuation comes less than a week after the museum postponed a lecture on ancient Israel that had been scheduled as part of Jewish Culture Month, citing security concerns.
According to the museum, officials learned that a significant number of registered attendees planned to disrupt the event, raising concerns that the program would not be able to proceed safely. After discussions with organizers and security partners, the museum opted to postpone the lecture to a later date.
“The British Museum fully recognizes the importance of lawful protest and freedom of expression in a democratic society,” the institution said in a statement earlier this week. “Equally, we have a responsibility to ensure that events hosted within the museum can proceed safely, securely and without intimidation for speakers, staff and visitors alike.”
The postponement sparked criticism from several public figures, including historian Simon Schama, who called the decision “absolutely the wrong decision,” as well as Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and former U.K. health secretary Wes Streeting. Jewish organizations also urged the museum to reschedule the event as soon as possible.
Museum officials have not suggested that Saturday’s evacuation was connected to the earlier controversy, and police have not indicated any link between the two incidents. Still, the evacuation comes at a tense moment for the institution as it navigates heightened security concerns surrounding public programming.
No injuries were reported.
