Two people were taken into NYPD custody Wednesday after climbing the antenna atop the Empire State Building, briefly turning one of the nation’s most important broadcast transmission facilities into the scene of a high-profile trespassing incident.
Police responded shortly after noon after receiving 911 calls reporting two individuals climbing the building’s antenna. Dressed in black clothing and face coverings, the pair unfurled a large banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
The climbers remained atop the structure for roughly 30 minutes before descending to a platform below, where they embraced and appeared to become engaged. About 10 minutes later, they continued climbing down the antenna before being taken into custody.
While no disruptions to broadcast service were reported, the incident occurred on a transmission tower that carries signals for many of New York City’s major FM radio stations, including iHeartMedia’s CHR “Z100” WHTZ, rhythmic CHR WKTU (103.5), classic rock “Q104.3” WAXQ, urban contemporary “Power 105.1” WWPR-FM and AC “106.7 Lite FM” WLTW. The site also serves Audacy’s classic hits WCBS-FM (101.1), and hot AC WNEW-FM (102.7), among other broadcasters.
iHeartMedia New York had to switch to an alternate antenna during the incident in order to protect first responders who were climbing through the antenna space. Listeners were unaffected by the temporary change.
Authorities said the Empire State Building remained open during the incident.
NBC-TV New York reports that the pair are the same individuals featured in the documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which follows Russian nationals Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus as they scale skyscrapers around the world with little or no safety equipment.
How the climbers gained access to the restricted antenna remains under investigation. The NYPD warned motorists to expect road closures and increased emergency activity around the Midtown Manhattan landmark while officers responded to the incident.
The Empire State Building has served as one of New York City’s primary broadcast transmission sites for decades, hosting the antennas for numerous FM radio stations and television broadcasters whose signals reach millions of listeners and viewers throughout the metropolitan area. Despite the unusual activity high above the city, broadcasts from the site appeared to continue uninterrupted.