Two people somehow managed to reach the top of the Empire State Building to hang a banner on the spire.
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According to ABC News, the masked man and woman appeared atop the Empire State Building’s spire on Wednesday morning. The banner they were holding featured a Jimi Hendrix quote, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
In response to the situation, a New York City Police Department helicopter was sent to the Empire State Building. The iconic structure’s observation deck was closed to visitors as law enforcement headed to the scene.
The two people have since climbed down from the spire. Once they were on the building’s roof, one of the people appeared to propose to the other. They were seen hugging and taking pictures before being placed into police custody.
This isn’t the first time someone has climbed to the top of the skyscraper. While promoting the launch of 30 Seconds to Mars’ 2024 world tour, Jared Leto scaled the building with permission.
Multiple outlets confirmed that the Empire State Building’s top floor sits at 1,250 feet high. With its transmission tower, the structure is 1,454 feet tall.
The skyscraper is one of the top 10 tallest buildings in the US.
Former New York City Chief Engineer Warns Others About Climbing on Top of the Empire State Building
Meanwhile, former New York City Chief Engineer John Cleary spoke out about the situation.
“These guys are a little crazy. Climbing up and down that tower, especially in this heat, is very strenuous,” he explained. “It’s easy to make mistakes. It doesn’t look like they’re wearing any harnesses. There’s a lot of RF, there’s a lot of electrical energy up on that tower.”
Cleary then said, “There’s potential for danger up there. It’s something that we’re trained to do. We go to classes for this … it’s not like you climb rocks. This is a live transmission tower. There’s a lot of danger up there.”
Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the pair could face trespass and reckless endangerment charges for the stunt.