A Russian couple climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a banner urging world peace before, in an apparent elaborate marriage proposal that ended with their arrests.
Daredevils Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus documented themselves hanging onto the landmark skyscraper's antenna spire 1,454 feet (443 meters) above New York, where they held a black banner with a message in white letters that said: "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."
The couple then descended to a lower platform on the antenna, where Beerkus appeared to get down on one knee, shortly after which the couple kissed and embraced.
Nikolau could then be seen admiring a ring on her hand and taking photographs of it.
The New York Police Department closed down streets around the building and said the couple had been taken into custody.
An Empire State Building spokesperson described Wednesday's climb as an "unauthorized incident" in a statement.
Nikolau, who has more than a million followers on Instagram, regularly shares herself and Beerkus perched on the top of buildings and other tall structures like bridges.
The couple and their adventures, which have become known as "rooftopping," were the subject of a 2024 Netflix documentary called 'Skywalkers: A Love Story.'
Nikolau's acrobatics run in the family, and her father, the Russian circus artist Dmitriy Nikolau, said he was aware of his daughter's climb.
"I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution," he said.
Asked if he was worried about her following her arrest, he said: "Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself."
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