Dangerous Proposal? Couple ARRESTED After Climbing to Top of Empire State Building

Well, this is certainly a new one…

This afternoon, a man and a woman wearing masks climbed all the way to the top of the 1,500-foot-tall Empire State Building in New York City.

Perched at the top of the spire, they held up a banner that read: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”

Here’s some footage:

BREAKING: Two people have climbed to the top of the Empire State Building in New York City, holding a banner from the skyscraper's antenna reading, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace."

As of now it's unclear how the pair reached the top of the… pic.twitter.com/rUPZ6nc1eK

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 1, 2026

This daredevil stunt appeared to have been more than just a protest.

After law enforcement responded to the scene, the couple began to climb down from the tower onto a lower platform.

While there, the man pulled out a ring and proposed to the woman.

See the moment here:

JUST IN: After two people climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a banner on top of its spire Wednesday afternoon, one of the climbers appeared to propose to the other. https://t.co/ngG3jOeTBU pic.twitter.com/PhubQpnRH6

— ABC News (@ABC) July 1, 2026

That’s one way to outdo your friends’ engagement photos, I suppose!

Love is in the air?

However, the wedding might have to be postponed.

Both of the individuals were arrested and taken into custody by the NYPD.

Per Fox News:

The couple was later taken into custody and charges are pending, NYPD officials told Fox News Digital. No injuries were reported.

Roughly 40 police officers responded to the front of the building and directed traffic.

The entrance on Fifth Ave., between West 33rd and 34th streets, was blocked off.

Pedestrians were seen gathering on every corner surrounding the building watching the situation unfold.

An Empire State Building spokesperson described the incident as “unauthorized,” noting NYPD helped to resolve the situation.

“There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests,” the spokesperson said. “It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals…”

These two individuals have since been identified as Russian nationals Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus.

And, this wasn’t their first illegal climb.

In 2024, they released a Netflix documentary about how they illegally scale skyscrapers around the world.

Variety provided additional background:

It’s unclear how, exactly, Beerkus and Nikolau were able to scale the 102-story building, but if “Skywalkers” is any indication, the duo probably spent months training for the stunt. Documenting their climb of Malaysia’s 2,227-feet-tall Merdeka Tower — the second-tallest structure in the world — Beerkus and Nikolau filmed themselves spending roughly 30 hours inside the building, camping out and hiding from construction workers. After pulling off the climb, Beerkus and Nikolau escaped Malaysia before they could face legal repercussions.

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In an interview with Variety in 2024, Beerkus and Nikolau said they had just moved to New York and were in search of new adventures, teasing that there were buildings they haven’t “conquered” but “we can’t tell you what they are.”

Here are some photos of the couple:

🔥🚨 BREAKING — The couple seen atop the Empire State Building have been IDENTIFIED as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus.

The couple released a Netflix documentary in 2024 called "Skywalkers: A Love Story."

They supposedly " Found Love Thousands of feet in the sky, illegally… pic.twitter.com/4VQ1pATPoo

— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) July 1, 2026

BREAKING — The couple seen atop the Empire State Building have been IDENTIFIED as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus.

The couple released a Netflix documentary in 2024 called “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”

They supposedly ” Found Love Thousands of feet in the sky, illegally scaling the world’s tallest buildings.”

They also have an active social media presence where they share photos of their climbs.

Angela Nikolau calls herself a “neo-artist” who dreams of pushing the “boundaries of what is acceptable in art” on her social media profiles.

Fox News provided further coverage in this clip:

Fox News’ Lara Trump: “Online they’re saying her name is Angela Nikolau, that she says she’s a neo-artist exploring identity-free and freedom. ‘My dream is to push the boundaries of what is acceptable in art.’”

“It looks like she may have a Netflix show out.” pic.twitter.com/Ef7Cf05sQS

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) July 1, 2026