Empire State Climbers: Message of Love

A couple, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, illegally climbed the spire of the Empire State Building on Wednesday, July 1. During their ascent, they hung a huge banner about love and got engaged before being arrested. They went in court on Thursday, July 2, and were charged with burglary and reckless endangerment.

undefined The climb happened around noon on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Citizens in Midtown Manhattan looked up in shock as the pair climbed the 1,450-foot building, one of New York City’s most iconic landmarks.

According to prosecutors, Nikolau, 33, and Kuznetsov, 32, had entered the building as regular visitors the night before and hid in a maintenance room after it closed. Security videos showed them emerging from a floor hatch in the morning, using tools to loosen metal cables, and cutting two padlocks to access the spire. undefinedthey broke through a locked security door on the 104th floor to access the broadcast antenna, causing about $2,000 in damage.

Police had to wait for 30 minutes for the antenna’s harmful radio signals to be powered down before they could safely reach the climbers. The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit undefined and made the arrest. The whole scene happened while the city was already on high notice for World Cup matches, Taylor Swift’s wedding celebration, and America’s 250th birthday events.

Prosecutors stated that their actions were extremely risky, endangering themselves and first responders. undefinedthe “serious felony charges” send a message that reckless stunts have consequences. Their lawyer, Jason Krinsky, argued they were “overcharged,” maintaining the stunt was a harmless “message of love.” After their court hearing, the couple was released under court supervision and is undefined. undefined there was “at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and guests” at any time.