Couple Illegally Climbs Empire State Building Spire With Peace Banner, Gets Engaged at 443 Meters

Two people illegally climbed the spire of the Empire State Building in New York City, unfurled a peace banner at the top, and got engaged on the 443-meter-high pinnacle before being arrested.

Around noon local time, the couple scaled the iconic building's antenna spire. They carried a large black banner reading: "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."

After unfurling the flag, one of the climbers dropped to one knee on a slightly lower platform and proposed. The couple embraced as the proposal was accepted. A police officer confirmed the engagement to American media.

The climbers were arrested immediately after descending from their stunt.

One of the climbers has been identified as Angela Nikolau, a well-known stuntwoman featured in the Netflix documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story." The documentary follows Nikolau and her now-fiancé Ivan Beerkus as they scale extremely tall buildings around the world.

The pair previously climbed the roof of the Merdeka 118 skyscraper in Malaysia, which at 678.9 meters is the second-tallest building in the world. Their daring climbs have earned them a significant social media following and international recognition in the world of urban exploration and stunt climbing.

The only previous person to climb the Empire State Building's spire was French climber Alain Roberts in 1994. Known for his frequent illegal ascents of famous buildings worldwide, Roberts has also climbed the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Eiffel Tower, and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world at 828 meters.