French 'Spiderman' scales tower to support Philippines' South China Sea claims

French urban free-climber Alain Robert, popularly known as the "French Spiderman", climbs on the side of the 47-storey GT Tower in Manila's financial district of Makati on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. - AFP

MANILA: A free climber known as the "French Spiderman" scaled a Manila skyscraper on Tuesday to support the Philippines' maritime claims in the disputed South China Sea.

Frenchman Alain Robert, who has scaled more than 150 structures worldwide, including Dubai's Burj Kalifa and France's Eiffel Tower, drew a crowd and disrupted traffic in the Philippine capital's financial district.