'French Spiderman' unfurls peace banner in HK
Daredevil Alain Robert — dubbed the "French Spiderman" — climbed a Hong Kong skyscraper on Friday and unfurled a peace banner as the financial hub is rocked by historic political unrest.
The 57-year-old adventurer, who specializes in unsanctioned ascents of tall buildings, shimmied up the 68-story Cheung Kong Center in Hong Kong's main business district in hot and humid conditions on Friday morning.
During the climb he attached a banner featuring the national flag of China and regional flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as two hands shaking.
Prior to the ascent Robert put out a statement saying the message of his climb was to make "an urgent appeal for peace and consultation between Hong Kong people and their government."
"Perhaps what I do can lower the temperature and maybe raise a smile. That's my hope anyway," Robert said in his media statement.
Robert has regularly come to Hong Kong to scale buildings in a city that boasts the highest concentration of skyscrapers in the world.
He has climbed the Cheung Kong Center twice before.
Last August he was banned by a Hong Kong court from making any more climbs after he was charged over a 2011 illegal ascent of the 27-floor Hang Seng Bank building.
At the time he vowed to return to Hong Kong as soon as the ban expired.
In January he was arrested after climbing a 47-story tower in Manila.