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Empire State Building climbers unfurl banner quoting Jimi Hendrix

musicJul 1, 202628694

Two people climbed the Empire State Building spire in New York City, reached the antenna platform about 1,400 feet up, kissed and later became engaged, and unfurled a banner reading a pro-peace line commonly attributed to Jimi Hendrix: "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace." They were taken into custody after descending. The line on the banner is frequently misattributed to Hendrix; sample posts note similar phrasings have been linked instead to 19th-century British politician William Gladstone and to Sri Chinmoy, who used a related formulation in 1970. Video of the climb circulated online and multiple accounts described the stunt as both a publicity-seeking daredevil act and a pro-peace statement. Authorities did not release detailed charges in the available posts, and the climbers' safety and legal outcome were cited as immediate concerns by observers.