Two people display a banner atop the Empire State Building in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., July 1, 2026 in a still image from video. ABC Affiliate WABC/Handout via REUTERS. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
(New York, New York) – Two climbers scaled the Empire State Building’s spire Wednesday, unfurled a peace banner high above Midtown Manhattan and then turned the stunt into an apparent marriage proposal before police took them into custody.
The pair, widely identified in reports as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, also known as Ivan Kuznetsov, are known for extreme rooftop climbs and were featured in the Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story. They were dressed in dark clothing and masks as they reached the restricted antenna area of the 1,454-foot landmark.
The banner they displayed read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” After coming down to a lower platform on the spire structure, Beerkus appeared to get down on one knee and propose to Nikolau, who accepted as cameras and helicopters captured the scene from a distance.
The climb triggered a police response and temporary disruption around one of New York’s most recognizable buildings. The NYPD monitored the pair from the air and sent officers up the tower before both climbers were taken into custody after descending from the spire.
No injuries were immediately reported, but the incident is likely to raise fresh questions about security at major landmarks and the risks created by unauthorized social media stunts. For the couple, the proposal may have been unforgettable; for city officials, it was also a dangerous breach at one of the most visible sites in the world.