Updated at 11pm
LONDON’S SCIENCE MUSEUM was evacuated and an emergency police operation was commenced after a family parked a van outside carrying the slogan “Iran is Great”.
The van is owned by Romanian man Cristian Ivan who drives it around Europe with his wife and home-schooled children to promote Iranian culture.
On Monday, he parked it outside the Science Museum on London’s Exhibition Road.
BBC reports that the family then went into the nearby Natural History Museum and did not hear announcements in the Science Museum seeking the owner of the German registered van.
After police were notified about the “suspicious vehicle”, the decision was taken to evacuate the museum.
The Ivans’ website Iranisgreat.com explains that they have travelled around Europe to promote the image of Iran and Iranians.
Speaking to the BBC after the incident he said that he returned to his van to find the windows had been broken by police.
He said he understands people have to be protected but that he would have preferred if his windows weren’t broken.
“I do respect the law and I was not aware I could not park there. They could have given me a ticket or clamped me but because of the writing they treated the van as if it was suspicious,” Mr Ivan said.
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