Two people unfurl peace banner on New York's Empire State Building spire

The dramatic display takes place atop one of New York City’s most recognisable landmarks

Two people display a banner atop the Empire State Building in the Manhattan borough of New York, US Jul 1, 2026, in a still image from video. ABC Affiliate WABC/Handout via REUTERS

Two people climbed to the very top of the Empire State Building's towering spire in New York City on Wednesday to unfurl a large banner urging world peace.

The pair, dressed in sleeveless black outfits, hung onto the landmark skyscraper's antenna spire near the glowing red light at its top some 1,454ft (443m) above the sidewalk of midtown Manhattan.

They held a black banner with a message in all-capital white letters that flapped in the wind: "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."

It was not immediately clear who the two people were or how they got up there.