A newly engaged couple has been arrested after climbing the Empire State Building in New York and unfurling a banner about “the power of love.”
The pair, identified as Russian climbers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, were seen scaling the iconic 1,454ft (443m) skyscraper before being met by police following the unauthorised stunt.
Dressed in black and wearing masks, the couple reached the building’s antenna and displayed a banner reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
After spending several minutes at the top, the pair descended to a lower section of the structure, where one of them appeared to get down on one knee in what looked like a marriage proposal.
@nbcnewyorkThe NYPD were quick to release bodycam footage Wednesday afternoon from the arresting officers who climbed part of the Empire State Building. Two people were taken into custody for scaling the Manhattan landmark, where the couple apparently got engaged in a death-defying stunt.
The duo, who featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, were later seen hugging and kissing as officers made their way up to meet them.
Bodycam footage released by police shows an officer greeting the pair and telling them: “you can’t be up here.” An off-camera voice then replies: “We are engaged.”
Moments later, officers escorted the couple down from the antenna via a ladder, where they calmly complied with police instructions.
It remains unclear how the climbers accessed the restricted structure, which sits above the public observation areas of the 102-storey Empire State Building.
@foxnewsBREAKING: Two people have climbed to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City, holding a banner from the skyscraper's antenna reading, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace." As of now it's unclear how the pair reached the top of the building as police work to get them down from the spire, 1,454 feet above the ground.♬ original sound - Fox News
A spokesperson for the landmark confirmed the stunt was “unauthorised,” but said it did not pose a risk to people inside the building.
Onlookers gathered on the streets below as the incident unfolded, with one witness describing the scene as “like being in the movies.”
Climbing the Empire State Building is strictly prohibited, although the structure has been targeted in previous unauthorised ascents.
In a rare exception, actor and musician Jared Leto was granted permission in 2023 to scale part of the building as part of a promotional event for his band 30 Seconds to Mars, reaching the base of the antenna from the 86th floor.
