An activist who describes himself as a “Pro-Life Spiderman” climbed San Francisco’s tallest building on Tuesday to the amazement of onlookers.
Officers were notified around 9:20 am by people who spotted the climber on the Salesforce Tower in the city’s downtown, Fox affiliate KTVU-TV reported. Authorities closed down nearby streets and told people to avoid the area.
The San Francisco Fire Department tweeted about the incident, saying the climber was “placing firefighters’ lives and the public safety at risk.”
By 11 am, the climber was in police custody, the police department said. The motive for the daring stunt was unclear but abortion has become an issue at the forefront in the past 24 hours after a leaked draft of a US Supreme Court opinion showing a ruling could overturn the landmark 1973 Roe V. Wade case.
The climber, who is identified by Maison Deschamps on Instagram, posted a story showing himself on the tower mid-climb.
He posted a rant against Dr. Cesare Santangelo in Washington DC, who has been targeted by anti-abortion groups. While on the tower, he said the climb was going “good” but that “I just wish I had a little water.”
“I just got to troop it out,” he said. “Everything is going good though.”
On social media, the climber had his share of supporters and detractors.
One woman noted how dangerous it was that he was scaling such a high building, but added she “LOVED his spirit.”
Another woman wrote on Facebook with a sarcastic tone: “Well look at that, he had the CHOICE to climb the tower.”
