Two Russian nationals were detained by police after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building in New York, unfurling a banner and making a marriage proposal.
The incident was captured by a US news helicopter. The couple, dressed in black, were seen kissing atop the skyscraper's main antenna and unfurling a banner reading: 'When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.'
It is not yet known how the couple reached the antenna, which stands at about 443 meters (1,454 feet) and is well above the public areas of the 102-story building.
Body camera footage released by the police shows an officer climbing a ladder and telling the couple, 'You can't be here.' Breathing heavily, the officer asks, 'How are you?' but the couple's reply is lost in the wind.
The detained couple were identified as Russian nationals Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau. The pair previously appeared in the 2024 Netflix documentary 'Skywalkers: A Love Story,' which chronicles their shared interest in rooftopping, the sport of scaling urban buildings.
Speaking to Reuters news agency, Angela's father, Dmitriy Nikolau, dismissed concerns about his daughter's stunt, saying, 'Why should I worry? I climb roofs too.' The father, described as a Russian circus performer, claimed he knew about the climb in advance and argued that it is constitutional in every country, including the US.
An Empire State Building spokesperson described the incident as 'an unauthorized event' and suggested the couple purchase the building's $1,000 'Happily Ever After Proposal Package' to celebrate their engagement.
