Empire State Building news took a sharp turn Wednesday afternoon when two people were seen at the very top of the tower in New York City with a banner. The building’s observation deck was later cleared, and an NYPD helicopter responded to the scene.
The banner read, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace." The pair appeared to be a man and a woman, and both were wearing masks. The Empire State Building’s top floor is 1,250 feet high, and including the transmission tower it stands 1,454 feet tall.
Empire State Building tower
The two were seen at the top of the radio and television transmission tower for local stations, but it was not immediately clear how they got there. One of them began to descend shortly after reaching the top and flying the banner, then made their way back up.
Other people were visible on the observation deck below at the start of the incident. That changed as the deck was cleared while the pair remained at the upper section of the building.
Wednesday afternoon
At 12:35 p.m., the two began to descend from the top. Once they reached one of the lower platforms on the tower, the man dropped to one knee and appeared to propose to the woman. She removed her mask, they embraced, and they kissed.
The scene drew attention because it placed two people at the top of one of the top 10 tallest buildings in the United States, with a visible message displayed above the city. What drew them there, and how they reached the tower in the first place, remains the central open question in the incident.
