As the day of “Storm Area 51” arrived, a motley group of about 100 “alien-chasers” converged on the back gate of the secret site early Friday, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. At least two people were reportedly detained by local sheriff’s deputies.
“Storm Area 51” became a viral phenomenon after a joke Facebook post in July urged people to crash the military base “to see them aliens.” Conspiracy theories surrounding extraterrestrials have long swirled around Area 51. Originally scheduled for 3 a.m. PDT Friday, “Storm Area 51” garnered global attention, as well as security concerns.
The Review-Journal reported that about a dozen officers were stationed at the gate on the outskirts of Rachel, Nev. and were joined by an officer with a police dog at 3 a.m. PDT. The mood was mostly lighthearted, according to the Review-Journal, as officers joked with the crowd. “The Final Countdown” blared out from a speaker brought to the gathering.
The Area 51 gate gathering. #StormArea51 #area51 pic.twitter.com/bBwxxe2eJT
— Mick Akers (@mickakers) September 20, 2019
Images tweeted by Review-Journal journalist Mick Ackers showed one man wearing what appears to be a tinfoil hat and another in an astronaut costume. One attendee is pictured brandishing a North Korean flag. – READ MORE