The couple who were arrested after daring to say they wanted to marry the Empire State | Objections

Russian players Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau are seen as ambassadors of ‘dropping the roof’, an unregulated mountain climbing sport.

A protest and wedding display at the top of the Empire State Building has led to two arrests in New York City.

A video captured by a US helicopter on Wednesday showed two people, dressed in black, seen kissing on top of a towering skyscraper.

They unfurled a banner with the words, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world knows peace,” from their position, about 443 meters (1,454 feet) above the ground.

It is not clear how the pair found the mast, which is located above the public access point of the 102-storey building.

The police camera, which was released later that day, showed a police officer who was sent to get the daredevils.

“How are you doing?” The family asked as they climbed the stairs, breathing heavily. Although the answer of the two is not clear because of the wind, the policeman continued to tell them, “Okay, you can’t stay here.”

The two arrested have been identified as Russian citizens Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau. The pair appeared in Netflix’s 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, which featured their interest in “roof building”, an urban game that involves expanding city buildings.

I have to climb the roofs myself,” Dmitriy Nikolau, Angela’s father, told Reuters news agency when asked about the ordeal.

Dmitriy, identified by Reuters as a Russian sports artist, said he already knew about his daughter’s rise.

He told reporters, “I think it’s unusual to raise the ceiling in any country, including the United States, under any law.”

In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Empire State Building described Wednesday’s hike as an “unacceptable event”, saying the couple should have purchased the building’s $1,000 “Happily Ever Empire Proposal Package” to ensure their engagement.