Two people were arrested Wednesday afternoon after scaling the upper structure of the Empire State Building and unfurling a banner atop the landmark’s antenna spire.
New York City police and building security responded to the Midtown Manhattan scene around noon as helicopters circled the building.
Onlookers observed the figures near the top of the 1,454-foot structure with a large banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
The climbers identified themselves on Instagram as Angela Nikolau, 33, and Vanya Beerkus, 32. They are prominent rooftop climbers and stars of the Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”
The stunt appears to have culminated in a marriage proposal between Nikolau and Beerkus. The pair later posted a joint Instagram update confirming their engagement. The post included a photograph of Beerkus down on one knee, another image showing Nikolau with her hand extended displaying an engagement ring overlooking the city skyline and a photo of their hands interlocked.
Prior to the arrests, Nikolau documented the climb on her Instagram account, posting a video to her story from the top of the skyscraper showing views across Manhattan. A subsequent post on her story featured a video filmed by an observer on the ground, which captured her waving from the upper structure of the building.
The investigation is ongoing.
