Area 51 bereidt zich voor op “bestorming” door muziekfans
September 19, 2019 - September 22, 2019 - Een post op Facebook, bedoeld als grap, in juli, getiteld “Bestorm Area 51, Ze kunnen ons niet allemaal tegenhouden” ging "viral". Bijna tweemiljoen mensen tekenden in, en heeft uiteindelijk geleid tot twee muziekfestivals nabij de geheime militaire faciliteit.
Almost two million people responded to a July Facebook message, posted as a prank, that urged UFO believers to “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” – scheduled to occur September 20.
The post was subsequently taken down by Facebook, and the U.S. Military, which controls the top-secret Nevada base, rumoured to house aliens and spaceships, issued a warning that might not deter all the respondents. It read:
“The United States Air Force is aware of the Facebook post. The Nevada Test and Training Range is an area where the Air Force tests and trains combat aircraft. As a matter of practice, we do not discuss specific security measures, but any attempt to illegally access military installations or military training areas is dangerous.”
The storming, however, appears to have evolved into safer options, namely art and music festivals in the area. They are aimed, according to organisers, at shining a light on government secrecy surrounding aliens.
The Facebook event’s creator, Matty Roberts, told KLAS-TV in California that he thinks things “got a little spooky” after his stunt became such an internet sensation. But for UFO enthusiasts, it is no joke. As far back as the 1950s, people have reported seeing UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) at the military base.
Faced with unexpected viral success of the post, Roberts is now planning to hold a four-day festival called “Alienstock” in Rachel, Nevada, the town closest to Area 51.
Another similarly-themed “unofficial” gig is happening some miles east of Rachel, at the Alien Research Center, just off the Extraterrestrial Highway.
- ‘Storm Area 51’ festival gets official go-ahead but no-one’s going to ‘see them aliens’ (Metro)
- Who is going to Nevada’s Area 51 in September? (Forbes)
- The real story behind the myth of Area 51 (Popular Mechanics)
- Area 51 is the Internets latest fascination. Heres everything to know About the mysterious site (Time)
- Sep 20, 2019: Area 51 event a storming or a concert? (NewsAhead)