In the middle of the heat wave sweeping the East Coast, two Russian daredevils climbed to the Empire State Building’s 1,454-foot antenna spire on July 1. Clad all in black and wearing black face coverings, they unfurled a banner with a quote often misattributed to Jimi Hendrix, of all people: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
The man appeared to cap off the quixotic stunt by kneeling to propose after the pair descended to a lower platform around 12:30 p.m. The New York Police Department took them into custody shortly thereafter.
Beyond the financial cost was the diversion of police attention and specialized responders to manage an intentional public spectacle.
The pair, later identified after their arrest as Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Beerkus, 32, are not ordinary New York City eccentrics one might see doing odd things on the street or subway. Instead, they are professionals. Nikolau and Beerkus are “rooftoppers,” people who scale skyscrapers or construction sites without safety equipment or permission to take dramatic photos and videos. They were even the subjects of the 2024 Netflix rooftopping documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story.
It was reckless, illegal, and admittedly impressive. They certainly achieved their goal of creating a dramatic and romantic spectacle: Two people, dressed in black, clinging to one of the most famous buildings in the world with a love-and-peace banner is an image built to go viral on social media.
The problem is that they did not just endanger themselves. They forced New York City and its emergency responders into the performance with them.
The NYPD deployed a helicopter, a drone, and its Emergency Service Unit to monitor and intervene in the possible emergency situation. Streets around the building were temporarily closed as a safety precaution. The exact public cost of the stunt to the city, while not reported, was plainly not zero.
Beyond the financial cost was the diversion of police attention and specialized responders to manage an intentional public spectacle. The charges brought against Nikolau and Beerkus — disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass, and burglary — reflect that. Police also reportedly found a broken lock on a security door on the restricted-access 104th floor.
Stunts like this can be impressive, sure, but that does not erase the irresponsible and selfish nature of it. Nikolau and Beerkus both risked their own lives for a romantic spectacle and made New York absorb the consequences. Restricted areas of public landmarks are not stages, and emergency responders should not be props for influencers looking for 15 minutes of fame.
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