Two people climbed to the top of the Empire State Building on Wednesday.
Viral footage showed the pair holding a banner that read, “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 building as police work to get them down from the spire, 1,454 feet above the ground,” Fox News wrote.
Watch below:
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
NBC New York has more:
The pair eventually climbed down the spire around 12:40 p.m. and onto a platform where one of the trespassers appeared to propose to the other.
ADVERTISEMENTRoughly 10 minutes later, they began descending the rest of the spire.
It wasn’t clear if police had made contact yet with the pair.
Terry Monahan, former NYPD chief of department and NBC New York contributor, said the trespassers could face felony charges after they are taken into police custody.
Additional footage and photos below:
Two people have climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurled a flag on top of its spire.
The unidentified people appear to be wearing masks. https://t.co/V7QN65PYKA pic.twitter.com/B1ioFbAppN
— ABC News (@ABC) July 1, 2026
Kissing-daredevils scale Empire State Building antenna, hanging flag 1,454 feet over NYC with cringe message https://t.co/bwtOYyIsW2 pic.twitter.com/SidbwPKrYO
— New York Post (@nypost) July 1, 2026
NOW – A couple’s proposal is taking place atop the Empire State Building. pic.twitter.com/cwdhvtaq06
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 1, 2026
BREAKING: Two people climbed the Empire State Building in New York City on Wednesday with a banner reading: "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace." pic.twitter.com/YapR4P7l9z
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 1, 2026
🤯 NOT ON THE BINGO CARD: PROPOSAL ON TOP OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING!?!?!? pic.twitter.com/LiX5rTFEDy
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 1, 2026
CBS News shared further:
It happened around noon Wednesday.
Shortly reaching the top and flying the banner, one of the two began to descend, but then made their way back to the top.
At the start of the incident, other people could be seen milling about on building’s observation deck below, as normal. The observation deck was later cleared.
An NYPD helicopter responded to the scene. At 12:35 p.m., the two began to descend from the top.
Incredibly, once they hit one of the lower platforms on the tower, the man dropped to one knee and appeared to propose to the woman. The two then embraced, the woman removed her mask, and they kissed.
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