Two Russians arrested after Empire State Building spire climb and proposal

A Russian couple climbed the spire of the Empire State Building on Wednesday, unfurled a banner reading peace, and one got down on one knee to propose before police took them into custody. The pair reached the top of the landmark tower during daylight hours. They displayed the banner from the spire for several minutes.

Sequence of events After the banner display, one member of the couple knelt and proposed. The second person accepted. Police officers later detained both individuals at the building.

Prior similar incidents The Empire State Building has seen unauthorized climbs in past years, though most ended without proposals or banners. No injuries were reported during the Wednesday climb. >"Two Russians were arrested after they scaled the spire of the Empire State Building on Wednesday where one of them got down on one knee to propose." — France 24, July 2, 2026