CNN stopped cold as masked activists scale Empire State Building with a blunt message

Two activists climbed the top of the Empire State Building in New York City to fly a banner message in an apparent marriage proposal, shocking CNN pundits live on-air Wednesday.

The two people were wearing masks and held a banner saying "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."

They set up a selfie stick at the top of the iconic Manhattan building, which is 1,454 feet tall, and one person went down on one knee and appeared to propose to the other. A woman took off her mask and was showing her ring while capturing it on her phone.

CNN's Brian Stelter's told anchor Dana Bash that they were climbing the television transmission tower, which broadcasts all of New York City's local television stations.