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Two trespassers climbed to the top of New York City’s Empire State Building in a hair-raising stunt.
The masked daredevils scaled the lightning rod at the top of the iconic skyscraper in Manhattan before unfurling a banner.
The very tip of the Empire State Building, up to the antenna and spire, reaches 1,454 feet (443 metres).
Their cryptic protest banner said: ‘When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.’
New Yorkers tried to get a glimpse of the couple at street level as they were spotted climbing up the rod and clinging onto it for a while.
Tourists could be seen on the observation deck below before it was cleared shortly after midday local time.
Eventually, the couple descended down to a lower level below the radio mast.
That is when the other person, presumed to be a man, dressed in a black top and trousers, dropped to one knee.
He appeared to propose to the woman, who removed her mask and they kissed following the extreme proposal.
They were later taken into custody, according to ABC News.
While the identity of the trespassers has not been officially confirmed, the stunt has been linked to artist Angela Nikolau, a Russian rooftopper known for scaling skyscrapers and posting about it on social media.
A post appeared on the influencer’s Instagram account with images of today’s stunt.
Her story, which said it was posted by an assistant, said: ‘Currently at the Empire State Building, you can watch on the city webcam.’
Empire State Building was erected in record-breaking 13 months in the aftermath of the Great Depression.
When it opened in 1931, it was the tallest building in the world, and remained so for 40 years.
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