They climbed to the top of the Empire State Building to propose? Here's what happened next

New York: Two Russian daredevil climbers were arrested after scaling the antenna of New York City's Empire State Building, unfurling a peace banner and apparently staging a high-altitude marriage proposal on Wednesday.

The pair, identified by police as Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, climbed to the top of the iconic skyscraper's antenna without safety tethers. Wearing black clothing and masks, they balanced on a narrow ledge, kissed and displayed a banner reading: "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."

After spending several minutes atop the 1,454-foot (443-metre) structure, the couple began climbing down. News helicopter footage appeared to show one of them getting down on one knee before the pair embraced and kissed again. The other climber was later seen taking selfies while displaying what appeared to be an engagement ring.

Officers from the New York Police Department's Emergency Services Unit climbed the antenna to intercept the pair. Police body-camera footage showed an officer greeting them before saying, "Well, you can't be up here."

An off-camera voice, believed to be one of the climbers, replied, "We are engaged."

The couple then calmly descended and were taken into custody.

Police charged the pair with burglary, reckless endangerment and other offences. It was not immediately known whether they had legal representation.

The climbers are better known online as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus and were featured in the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which chronicles their relationship and their often unauthorised climbs of skyscrapers and other tall structures around the world.

Following the stunt, Nikolau shared photographs on social media, including an image showing an engagement-style ring against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline.

The Empire State Building's management described the climb as "unauthorised" and said the incident did not pose a risk to visitors or occupants inside the building.

It remains unclear how the pair accessed the antenna, which is located well above the building's public observation decks. Management did not comment on whether the climbers had any interaction with security personnel before reaching the restricted area.

Visitors to the landmark are routinely screened and prohibited from bringing large packages, sports equipment, costumes or masks into the building.

Julie Morris, a tourist who was visiting one of the observation decks, told local television stations she saw two people pass through mesh gates into a restricted area and initially assumed they were authorised workers.

The spectacle also drew crowds outside the Art Deco skyscraper, where passers-by watched the climbers perched high above Manhattan.

"It's crazy — it's like being in the movies," said Jonathan Roman, a tourist from Glasgow. Roman and his 15-year-old son had tickets to the observation deck but found the building temporarily closed because of the incident.

"Probably more exciting than going up to the viewing platform for the second time," he added.

The Empire State Building has previously been the target of unauthorised climbing stunts, although actor and musician Jared Leto was granted permission to climb to the base of its antenna in 2023 as part of a promotional event.