Two masked climbers scaled the Empire State Building in New York City — 1,454 feet (443.2 meters) tall, including the spire — and attached a banner that read: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
The climb took place around noon local time. After reaching the top, the pair — a man and a woman — descended to a small platform, where the man got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend, media outlets and witnesses reported. The two kissed and continued their descent.
Police detained the pair after they came down. They could face charges of trespassing and endangering public safety. Officers closed several streets near the building and deployed a helicopter in response to the stunt.
According to the entertainment news outlet Variety and the Telegram channel RTVI US, the climbers were Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, who travel the world scaling skyscrapers without safety equipment. They are the subjects of the documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before landing on Netflix.
Nikolau later posted on her Instagram account confirming that she and Beerkus had climbed the building. One of the photos she shared showed her wearing a ring.
The Empire State Building’s management said that tenants, visitors, and guests at the observation deck were at no point in danger during the stunt.
“It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals,” an Empire State Building representative added.
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