RUSSIA: 'Spiderman' scales Europe's tallest skyscraper, gets arrested at the top

France's Alain Robert, 'Spiderman' scales Europe's tallest skyscraper and gets arrested. 'Spiderman' Alain Robert scaled Europe's tallest skyscraper on Tuesday (September 4), only to be arrested by Moscow police when he got to the top. Robert climbed 243 metres up the outside of the Western tower of the 'Federation' office block which is still under construction in central Moscow. He completed the ascent in 30 minutes, in half the time he had estimated it would take. Robert climbed with the aid of a safety system specially erected on the building's facade. When Robert reached the building's 59th floor he entered the unfinished building, where Moscow police immediately arrested him. Robert said he believed he had permission to do the climb from Russia's Interior Ministry and did not know the reason for the arrest. He joked with journalists that this experience was nothing new, "I've spent my whole life being arrested", he said. "I thought it was legal, yesterday I had the good news of all the permissions from the Interior Ministry, so now I am a little bit confused." Robert carried on joking as police escorted him through the building, falling down and pretending to be hurt, but winking for the camera as he walked on. Robert has climbed many of the world's tallest buildings, including the Eiffel Tower, the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Empire State Building in New York and the Sears Tower in Chicago.

ITN Source | September 10, 2007

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