Love, peace and police atop the Empire State Building
Two climbers reached the top of the Empire State Building’s antenna Wednesday, unfurled a black banner about love and peace, and then appeared to get engaged before being arrested.
The message from police was shorter: “Well, you can’t be up here.”
The climbers, who go by Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, were identified by police as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov. The two are known for high-rise stunts around the world and were featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”
News helicopter video showed them dressed in black, wearing masks and balancing on the structure without tethers. The structure rises 1,454 feet above midtown Manhattan.
Banner, proposal and arrest
The banner they unfurled read: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
After several minutes on the structure, the pair collected the banner and started down. Video showed one of them getting on one knee on a lower platform. The two then kissed and hugged.
Police Emergency Services Unit officers responded to the building. The observation deck was cleared as officers responded, then reopened later in the afternoon.
Body camera video showed officers climbing up to meet the couple. One officer greeted them, then said, “Well, you can’t be up here.”
An off-camera voice replied with what sounded like, “We are engaged.”
The two were arrested on burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and other charges.
How they got there remains unclear
Police said the banner was recovered. It was not immediately clear how the pair reached the antenna, which rises above the building’s public areas.
The Empire State Building said the stunt was unauthorized, but tenants and visitors were never in danger.
The building also noted that its observation deck offers a more practical way to propose.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
