‘French Spider-Man’ Climbs Li Ka-Shing’s Hong Kong Skyscraper, Hangs Peace Flag
Agence France-Presse identified the climber as French “Spiderman” Alain Robert, who has scaled buildings around the world.
(Bloomberg) -- Celebrated French “Spider-Man” Alain Robert scaled the side of an iconic Hong Kong skyscraper on Friday to unfurl a banner calling for peace between Hong Kong and China, as tensions escalate across the financial hub.
Decked out in colorful climbing gear, Robert climbed up Cheung Kong Centre in downtown Hong Kong -- the nerve center of billionaire Li Ka-Shing’s business empire -- to hang a large flag on the building’s exterior. The banner depicted juxtaposed flags of Hong Kong and China atop a symbolic handshake, a seeming plea for peace after 11 weeks of tense face-offs between black-clad protesters and Hong Kong police.
Robert, known for scaling iconic skyscrapers across the world including Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers and Sydney’s Lumiere without ropes or protection, was detained after making his way up to the top of the Hong Kong landmark. He drew a crowd of onlookers who gathered at the bottom of the tower, which also houses the offices of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp.
“He’s laughing and smiling and he just wants to be released,” John Pickavant, Robert’s lawyer, told reporters. Building security officials kept Robert for more than 30 minutes before he was “whisked away” to a police station. “He saw what was going on and he was very deeply upset and I think he wanted everyone just to put their hands together,” Pickavant added. “He just wanted peace for everyone.”
The ad-hoc action coincided with a series of ads that Li, known locally as Superman for his business and investment acumen, took out in local newspapers Friday, including one urging “Love Hong Kong, love China, love yourself.”
Hong Kong’s protesters have sustained their momentum for weeks through summer heat, clouds of tear gas and increasingly aggressive police tactics. The historic movement erupted in early June in opposition to legislation that would allow extraditions to mainland China for the first time, and has since widened to include calls for leader Carrie Lam to resign.
Sporadic mass weekend marches have given way to unruly demonstrations on a near-daily basis, spanning from the city center to far-flung neighborhoods. Tactics have also shifted, with protesters using flash mobs and strikes to shut down subway lines, major roads and even the international airport. Hong Kong police have responded with rubber bullets and arrests.
To contact the reporters on this story: Sheryl Tian Tong Lee in Hong Kong at slee1905@bloomberg.net;Shawna Kwan in Hong Kong at wkwan35@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, ;Peter Elstrom at pelstrom@bloomberg.net, Daniel Ten Kate
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