Two people climb to top of Empire State Building, give marriage proposal

Two people climbed to the top of New York City's Empire State Building on Wednesday, scaling the tower in a highly-visible stunt that ended in what appeared to be a proposal atop one of the most iconic buildings in the city's skyline.

Dressed in black and wearing helmets and masks, the two balanced on a narrow ledge atop the New York skyscraper's antenna, which rises 1,454 feet above midtown Manhattan. The banner, reading “when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” waved in the wind.

It wasn't clear how the pair gained access to the antenna, which rises well above public areas of the 102-story building.

Just after 12:30 p.m., they began to climb down, efficiently picking their way along the latticework of metal to a wider ledge, where one seemed to set up a piece of electronic equipment and got down on one knee. After the two kissed again and hugged, the other person took selfies with an outstretched left hand, as if examining a ring.

Around 1 p.m. Eastern, posts from daredevil couple Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus were uploaded to Instagram and Facebook, identifying themselves as the duo atop the building. The photos included a shot of what seemed to be an engagement ring.

The two climbers — whom police identified by their formal names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov — were arrested on burglary, reckless endangerment and other charges.