Couple arrested after marriage proposal atop the Empire State Building

A couple who climbed the antenna spire of the Empire State Building in New York without permission to propose marriage was taken into custody after unfurling a banner reading 'When the power of love overcomes the lust for power, the world will know peace.'

Scraper SystemJuly 01, 2026, 11:27 PM

Couple arrested after marriage proposal atop the Empire State Building

A couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building, one of New York's iconic landmarks, without permission made headlines with their unusual marriage proposal and the banner they subsequently unfurled.

The two individuals, whose identities have not yet been released, climbed to the summit of the 445-meter building including its antenna spire and were initially mistaken for protesters. In an event tracked from the air by helicopter by the US media, the man was seen proposing to his girlfriend, and the woman photographed the ring on her finger multiple times with her phone.

A short time later, a helicopter belonging to the New York Police Department also arrived at the scene, monitoring events from the air.

The pair unfurled a banner expressing affection on the antenna mast, displaying the message, 'When the power of love overcomes the lust for power, the world will know peace,' painted in white on a black background.

Descending to the balcony below by holding onto the iron railings, the couple was taken into custody by New York police for climbing the building's antenna spire without permission and creating a hazard.