Topline
Two people wearing masks scaled the Empire State Building on Wednesday and unfurled a banner on top of its spire reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
Key Facts
It’s unclear how exactly the two people, who appear from photos to be a man and a woman clad in black, made it to the top of the building but police were reportedly working to get them down as of about 12:45 p.m. EDT.
The New York Post reported Wednesday the pair were on the top of the tower for about 30 minutes before making their way down to the viewing platform, and that they stopped on a platform at the base of the spire where the man appeared to drop to one knee, presented the woman with an item and then the couple kissed.
Online sleuths think the mystery pair is daredevil couple Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, whose love story was told in a Netflix documentary called “Skywalkers: A Love Story” in 2024.
The couple is known for sneaking into skyscrapers and scaling them without climbing tools or safety gear, and Nikolau said in a recent Instagram comment “everything we do, we do illegally and without permission.”
It’s against New York City law to scale the exterior of the Empire State Building without authorization (which has been granted only once before) and the pair could face charges of criminal tresspassing, reckless endangerment or criminal mischief, among other charges.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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