Man Climbs Las Vegas Orb to Make Point on Abortion

Maison Des Champs, 24, scaled the 366-foot-tall Sphere, was soon arrested
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 8, 2024 8:14 AM CST
Man Climbs Las Vegas Orb to Make Point on Abortion
People arrive on the Sphere's opening night on Sept. 29 in Las Vegas. A man who scaled the exterior of the massive venue on Wednesday morning was taken into custody, authorities said.   (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

A man who bills himself as "The Official Pro-Life Spider-Man" scaled the massive Sphere venue in Las Vegas on Wednesday to raise funds for a pregnant woman, according to video posted on his Instagram. He was subsequently arrested. Las Vegas police said they began receiving calls about a person climbing the 366-foot-tall spherical structure near the Strip after 10am. Police confirmed about an hour later that 24-year-old Maison Des Champs had been detained, per the AP. His arrest came just days before Las Vegas hosts its first Super Bowl, which is expected to bring more than 330,000 visitors. Des Champs is a local rock climber who has scaled skyscrapers before in Las Vegas and beyond.

Des Champs' video shows him against a blue but cloudy sky with a GoPro camera strapped to his head. "Hey guys, I'm here on top of the Sphere," he says, as he explains that his latest stunt was meant to bring attention to his anti-abortion cause while helping raise funds for a pregnant woman who's experiencing homelessness. He said in a later post that the money raised will help the woman "cancel her abortion appointment." Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill characterized the incident as a publicity stunt. Des Champs has been charged with felony destruction of personal property and conspiracy to destroy property, a gross misdemeanor. Days before last year's Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, he was detained after scaling Phoenix's tallest building to promote his anti-abortion cause. Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller at the time called the stunt "very, very dumb." More here.

(More anti-abortion activists stories.)

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