Empire State Building climbers charged after rooftop marriage proposal

The Empire State Building climbers who unfurled a marriage proposal banner on its antenna were charged Thursday with burglary, reckless endangerment and six other offenses after a stunt that ended in police custody. Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, were arrested after scaling the Midtown Manhattan landmark’s antenna on Wednesday and displaying a sign that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”

Police charged the pair with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglar's tools, criminal tampering, trespassing and disorderly conduct. The antenna rises 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan and sits well above the public areas of the 102-story building. The climb began without a clear explanation of how Kuznetsov and Nikolau reached the antenna.

Police body camera video captures officers calling up to the pair, “Well, you can’t be up here,” before one climber replied, “We are engaged.” The two came down a ladder and were taken into custody after 1 p.m. No one was injured.

Building management called the episode “unauthorized” and denied that it endangered anyone in the skyscraper. The climb unfolded in full view of pedestrians on the sidewalks below, where onlookers watched near the Art Deco tower. One tourist from Glasgow, Scotland, called it “like being in the movies.”

Kuznetsov and Nikolau are Russian climbers known for rooftopping and appeared in the 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which followed their climbs and romance. They have also used the aliases Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus around their stunts.