While most New Yorkers are currently doing everything they can to escape the city’s, triple-digit-feeling heat, two people apparently had a very different idea: getting as close to the sun as humanly possible.
How, you may ask? Simply, by climbing to the top of the Empire State Building.
Around midday Wednesday, the pair was seen scaling the iconic 1,454-foot skyscraper before reaching its spire and unfurling a large banner. The message, written in white lettering, appeared to read: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
The stunt immediately drew attention from onlookers below and quickly prompted a large NYPD response, according to reports. Police helicopters were seen circling the building while officers secured the surrounding area, including temporary street closures near Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street.
According to police, the two individuals were later taken into custody, with charges pending.
Social media posts later surfaced appearing to show the climbers themselves documenting the ascent. One account attributed to the incident suggested the stunt was part of a planned performance, and users online quickly began identifying one of the climbers as a known urban climber and influencer who has previously appeared in extreme rooftop videos and documentaries (Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33).
After reaching a lower section of the spire during their descent, witnesses and circulating video clips appeared to show a surprising moment unfold: one of the climbers proposed to the other. The pair then hugged and took photos before continuing down and being detained.
The Empire State Building, which stands 102 stories tall and rises 1,454 feet to the tip of its antenna, is one of the most heavily secured landmarks in New York City. It was completed in 1931 and remained the tallest building in the world for four decades.
The incident remains under investigation, and authorities have not released further details about potential charges or how the individuals accessed restricted sections of the structure.
