In GQ this month, rogue skyscraper-climber Alain Robert — who free climbs, using no ropes or equipment — offers an account of scaling the New York Times building to hang a banner halfway up:
When I was about fourteen stories up, I took the banner from under my shirt and tied it. It said GLOBAL WARMING KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN 9/11 EVERY WEEK.
When I got near the roof, I realized a policeman was waiting for me. He was shouting, telling me to surrender. He was sitting on a beam, wearing three safety lines, and he was still paralyzed by fear. I was very nice to him the whole time — I said I was sorry if I had created a little bit of difficulty. There were five or six other cops waiting for me, and the way that they grabbed me and handcuffed me — they treated me quite badly. With the police, everything depends on the country. I was arrested for the same thing in Moscow. The only difference is that in Moscow, the police commissioner was hugging me. They gave me vodka! Even in China, I taught the police the word freedom and they were shouting “Freedom! Freedom!” without knowing the meaning.
Here’s an account of the even in the NYT, from back in June, with video and an interview with Robert. Here’s an AP account:
