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French 'Spider Man' charged in latest New York stunt
2008-06-06
Alain Robert, best known as the "French Spider Man" for climbing buildings and monuments around the world, was charged in a Manhattan court Friday and released on parole for scaling the New York Times skyscraper, court officials said. Robert, 45, was charged with reckless endangerment in the second degree, making graffiti, criminal trespass in the third degree and disorderly conduct. He was released on 2,000 dollars bail. "It is a misdemeanor, it all depends on the judge, but reckless endangerment in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor. He could face up to a year in jail," said Manhattan District Attorney spokeswoman Jennifer Kushner. Robert is due back in court on June 11, she added. The daring climber on Thursday scaled the 52-story, 228-meter (748-foot) high, Renzo Piano-designed New York Times building to protest climate change. Halfway up the climb, he unfurled a banner reading: "Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week." "I am climbing with my bare hands as a peaceful way to create support for far greater and urgent action from world leaders on global warming," Robert said in a statement sent out before he began the climb. Police handcuffed Robert when he got to the roof of the building, and placed him under arrest. A few hours after the stunt, a second climber, Renaldo Clark, clambered up the same building and was also promptly arrested at the top. He is scheduled for indictment later Friday on the same charges as Robert, Kushner said. In mid-April Robert scaled a top Hong Kong hotel, also to highlight the fight against global warming. Police arrested him when he reached the roof, but he was later released without charge. Robert was kicked out of Brazil in February after security guards prevented him from climbing the 46-story Edificio Italia building in central Sao Paulo. In 2007 Roberto was deported from China for illegally conquering its tallest building, only to have officials invite him back in November to legitimately climb a mountain in central China as a tourist attraction. Robert boasts on his website that he has made it to the top of 70 buildings and monuments around the world in his 12-year career.
French 'Spider Man' charged in latest New York stunt (2008-06-06)NY skyscraper hosts 2 daredevil stunts in 1 day (2008-06-05)2 (11285)
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