Two Russian citizens were detained by police in New York after climbing the Empire State Building, unfurling a banner, and proposing.
The incident was captured by a US news helicopter. The couple, dressed in black, were seen kissing atop the skyscraper's main antenna before unfurling a banner that read, 'The world will know peace when the power of love overcomes the love of power.'
The antenna, which is about 443 meters high, is located far above the 102-story building's public areas, and how the couple got there is still unknown.
In body camera footage released by police, an officer is heard climbing a ladder and telling the couple, 'You can't be here.' The officer, breathing heavily, asks, 'How are you?' but the couple's response is inaudible due to the wind.
The couple, identified as Russian nationals Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, previously starred in the 2024 Netflix documentary 'Skywalkers: A Love Story,' which follows their shared interest in rooftopping, an urban climbing sport.
Angela's father, Dmitriy Nikolau, told Reuters that he was not worried, saying, 'Why should I worry? I climb roofs too.' The Russian circus artist said he knew about the climb beforehand and maintained that such acts are constitutional in every country, including the US.
A spokesperson for the Empire State Building called the incident 'an unauthorized event' and suggested the couple purchase the building's $1,000 'Happily Ever After Proposal Package' to celebrate their engagement.