2 arrested after hanging ‘power of love’ banner on top of Empire State Building

Two people got to the top of the Empire State Building’s antenna and unfurled a banner about “the power of love” at midday on Wednesday, before starting to descend, embracing, taking selfies and ultimately being arrested.

Dressed in black and wearing masks – but not tethers, it appeared – the two balanced on a narrow ledge and appeared to kiss atop the New York skyscraper’s antenna, which rises 1,454 feet (443 metres) above midtown Manhattan, news helicopter video showed.

The banner, reading “when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace”, waved in the wind.

Just after 12.30pm, 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.

Onlookers gaped from the pavements near the art deco high-rise.