New York City police have arrested a man as he climbed the Trump Tower building using suction cups and rope.
Evidently, there's a guy scaling our building with suction cups & 5th Ave is shut down. Here he is! #TrumpTower pic.twitter.com/VYd5fO5gmZ
— Lynne Patton (@LynnePatton) August 10, 2016
As the man, who wore a backpack and climbing harness, scaled the 58-storey building, police removed large window panels above him and several officers, some wearing helmets, stood at the windows.
The climber shifted his route several times in what appeared to be an attempt to get around the police.
The glass-faced tower on Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, is headquarters for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's election campaign.
Police officers eventually grabbed the man and pulled him inside the building.
They should have at least let him finishing climbing the #TrumpTower pic.twitter.com/79dGBYP7QN
— Social Couture (@Social_couture_) August 10, 2016
"This man performed a ridiculous and dangerous stunt," said Michael Cohen, executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation. "I'm 100 percent certain the NYPD had better things to do."
Some social media users were more amused.
I can't get enough of any of this #TrumpTower pic.twitter.com/gYy2lItj3D
— Claire Ballor (@claireballor) August 10, 2016
Police closed several streets near the building in one of the city's busiest areas. They also put an inflatable landing pad on East 56th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues.
Whoa. The #TrumpTower climber almost hit with a wall of glass after the #NYPD breaks window to try & stop the climb https://t.co/28UfgPagS8
— Girl Code (@grilcode) August 10, 2016
I would like to wish #BizarroJarpad the best of luck in climbing the Trump Tower. #??? pic.twitter.com/NsfsjLGKgm
— Jared Padalecki (@jarpad) August 10, 2016
Man in NYC scales #Trump Tower with suction cups as the NYPD waits to arrest him pic.twitter.com/rjRegWDIRG
— Julie Walker (@jwalkreporter) August 10, 2016
It is not clear who the man is or why he scaled the building.
But in a video that was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday, a man discusses climbing the tower in a message addressed to Mr Trump. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt and long hair was over his eyes. He referred to himself as an "independent researcher" seeking a private meeting with Trump to discuss an unspecified matter.
"The reason I climbed your tower was to get your attention," he said in the video - and then encouraged people to vote for Trump.
- BBC / Reuters
