Love at 1,454 ft: Climbing duo arrested after Empire State Building proposal - CNN Inside Politics (2 videos)

[Rhiannon12866]

Two people who reached the top of the Empire State Building’s spire in New York City on Wednesday afternoon are in custody, according to the New York Police Department.

The individuals, who were masked, appeared to get engaged.

Police officers climbed up the spire and met the two just before 1 p.m., according to CNN affiliate WABC.

CNN’s Dana Bash and her Inside Politics panel react to the stunt and CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller shares details about possible charges facing the two individuals. - Aired on 07/01/2026.

0:00 Protesters hang off the top of the Empire State Building’s spire
1:23 The two individuals start climbing down
2:26 CNN senior national security analyst reacts to the stunt
4:22 The two masked individuals appear to get engaged
9:24 Emergency services officers climb up to meet the two individuals
10:06 CNN chief law enforcement analyst weighs in on potential charges



LIVE - Two people climb to the top of the Empire State Building - MS NOW

July 1, 2026.

[rampartd]

1. if one of these people fall and land on someone it would be tragic

if they miss, not sot so much

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I couldn't do it, just watching this made me cringe.

Though when I was a kid, I did climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty with my extended family. My cousin and I ran up the stairs ahead of the others and we got messages from adults behind us to wait for the rest of the family. We made it as far as the crown, I don't know if I could do it today. The torch was closed at the time for repairs, but my grandmother said she'd been there when it was open.

[rampartd]

3. normal people do not do this unless a gorilla is chasing them.

edit? why "gorilla?" anything between big dog and big foot would have worked. maybe king kong?

[Rhiannon12866]

4. I did see the movie, but didn't he have Fay Wray clutched in his fist so she didn't have to do any climbing?

[rampartd]

5. these 2 love birds are on top of the empire freakin' state bldg

playing the scene from an elvira film? how romantic.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. And they were placed under arrest, the cops had to climb up to arrest them:

Bodycam video shows officers arresting couple who climbed Empire State Building - Associated Press

Bodycam footage shows officers arresting two people after scaling the Empire State Building’s antenna and unfurling a banner about “the power of love.” It was apparently part of an audacious, high-altitude marriage proposal. It’s unclear how the pair gained access to the antenna. - 07/01/2026.

[rampartd]

7. they endangered those officers

which certainly be considered in their sentencing, to wit :

thousands of hours of community service, cleaning graffitti from tall buildings .

[IronLionZion]

8. King Kong

[Ray Bruns]

9. I was getting vertigo just watching them