A daredevil couple stunned New York on Wednesday after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building and unfurling a banner from its spire.
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, also known as Ivan Beerkus, stayed several minutes at the top of the skyscraper as cameras filmed the scene. Once back down, Ivan appeared to propose to his longtime girlfriend.
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The romantic stunt quickly turned into a legal nightmare. According to police, both were taken into custody and now face multiple charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
The black banner read: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” a line often linked to Jimi Hendrix.
An NYPD helicopter was sent to the scene and the observation deck was briefly cleared before reopening later in the afternoon.
The couple, known for extreme skyscraper climbs around the world, were featured in Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story.
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
