Two activists made separate ascents up Midtown’s New York Times building today and were promptly apprehended by police.
Early this afternoon, Alain Robert, a French professional climber, ascended the north side of the 52-floor building before being arrested shortly before 12:30 p.m. He was charged with counts of reckless endangerment, making graffiti, criminal tresspassing and disorderly conduct.
Robert had no equipment, and only carried with him a green banner that he hung on the side of the building, which reportedly said “Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week.”
Then, hours later, a second man who also had no climbing equipment began to ascend the Times building. This second climber seemed to have a harder time making the climb, stopped at various, but reached the summit of the building at 6:37 p.m. He then collapsed into the arms of policemen, who immediately apprehended him as crowds cheered him on below.
Sources who claimed to be friends of the second climber told NY1 that he is a 32-year-old resident of Sunset Park, Brooklyn, who has made similar climbs before.
The second climber was taken to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation…
