There sure are come crazies in New York City!
Thursday in NYC, not one but TWO individuals scaled to the top of a Manhattan skyscraper 52 stories hight. The same building (The New York Times building). On the same day. In unrelated events!
The first man was Alain Robert, a 45 year-old. On his way to the top, he opened a banner that read, “Global warming kills more people than a 9/11 every week.”
Scary thought.
When he made it to the top of the building, he was arrested.
Robert said in a recent news release that he was climbing to mark the World Environment Day.
He wanted “to create support for far greater and urgent action from world leaders on global warming.”
Then just a few hours later, another man scaled the building!
Television camera crews were around to film both incidents, with thousands of people standing behind police barricades watching.
The second individual, Renaldo Clarke, was also arrested upon reaching the top.
Though officers were worried he might not make it to the top as he appeared to be slowing down and growing tired. They started to shout words of encouragement and even dangled a rope for him to grab on to, but he decided to go on up alone.
Clarke was wearing a T-shirt that had “Malaria No More,” written on it to help raise awareness for the organization trying to raise funds for bed nets to prevent malaria from spreading.
Both individuals have been charged with disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass.
Catherine Mathis, a spokesperson for The New York Times, which is housed inside that building, said the newspaper was “taking steps to prevent future occurrences. Their illegal and ill-considered actions jeopardized their safety and the safety of others.”
As for their comments regarding the global warming comment, Mathis added that they have “a very green building. We wanted to minimize our environmental footprint.”
Other are very upset by the situation, such as Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr., who said “Regardless of the cause, in this day and age the police department has more important things to worry about then ridiculous stunts like this that endanger the police and public. If he wants to climb something, he can climb the walls inside his jail cell at Rikers.”
Folks should leave the scyscrapping to the indoor rock climbing venues!
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