Manhattan got an unforgettable show on Wednesday afternoon when two masked climbers scaled the Empire State Building in New York, unfurled a peace banner, and then turned the daring stunt into a surprise marriage proposal roughly 1,454 feet above the streets below.
Dressed entirely in black and concealing their identities with masks, the pair were spotted near the skyscraper’s antenna around noon on July 1. How they managed to reach the top of one of the world’s most iconic buildings remains unclear, and authorities have not released their identities.
After reaching the upper section of the spire, the duo unveiled a black banner bearing the message, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.” The display quickly caught the attention of people on the ground and spread rapidly across social media.
Then came the twist nobody expected. According to Fox 4, one climber appeared to begin descending around 12:30 p.m., then turned around and proposed to the other on a platform attached to the spire, creating one of the most unusual engagement stories in recent New York memory.
The intense summer heat added another layer of drama as the pair remained on the metal structure while NYPD helicopters and police drones monitored the situation. Authorities cleared portions of the Empire State Building’s observation deck as officers responded to the incident.
For a landmark that has attracted daredevils since opening in 1931, the peace-banner proposal immediately joined the list of its most extraordinary moments. And after the New York Post reportedly described the banner’s message as “cringe,” the internet did what it always does: turn the event into a debate.
Social Media Reacts To The Empire State Building Stunt
Many users defended the message rather than mock it.
“How’s it a cringe message? LOL,” wrote @diamondsweet999.
“Asking for peace is so cringe,” @thecakebreaker joked sarcastically.
“Nothing cringe about speaking truth. When we as humans stop loving power so damn much, the world will begin to heal,” posted @CryptoStonerfam.
Others couldn’t resist a pop-culture reference. “Huey Lewis beat these morons to the punch by several decades,” @ScottDog5 quipped, referencing The Power of Love.
Whether people viewed the stunt as romantic, reckless, inspiring, or embarrassing, most agreed on one thing: few couples will ever top an engagement atop the Empire State Building’s spire. Authorities have yet to explain how the pair gained access to the structure, and no arrests had been announced at the time of publication. In a city known for grand gestures, this one may have literally raised the bar to new heights.
