Thousands of People Have Taken a Facebook Pledge To Storm Area 51 (cnn.com) 345
PolygamousRanchKid shares a report from CNN: Over 300,000 people have signed on to a Facebook event pledging to raid Area 51 in Nevada in a quest to "see them aliens." The event, titled "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us," is inviting users from around the world to join a "Naruto run" -- a Japanese manga-inspired running style featuring arms outstretched backwards and heads forward -- into the area. "We can move faster than their bullets," the event page, which is clearly written with tongue in cheek, promises those who RSVP for September 20. The mysterious Area 51 has been the focus of conspiracy theories for decades, and many people think it's where the U.S. government stores its secrets about aliens and UFOs.
Good luck with that (Score:2, Insightful)
Somebody's going to be looking at some big legal troubles. Especially if anyone dies.
Re:Good luck with that (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Good luck with that (Score:5, Funny)
The "Naruto Run" thing is a conspiracy by dentists, who make a lot of money installing replacements for missing front teeth.
As for the "thousands of pledges", I expect that perhaps ten guys will show up wearing Guy Fawkes' masks, will loiter some distance from the main gate, and will then flee. And claim it a victory.
Re: (Score:2)
will loiter some distance from the main gate
Where 'some distance' is an hour's drive by car.
Re: Good luck with that (Score:2)
The edge of the restricted zone is only about five minutes from the main gate by car, by my estimation. I've been there. You can see the lights from the compound and make out separate buildings.
Re: (Score:2)
But when there are crowds expected, the authorities can simply throw up some roadblocks and checkpoints an hour away, and question everyone that wants to go through. There's not much legitimate traffic there that would suffer.
Re: (Score:3)
I saw this quote in the article, and I can only think these people have NO clue about firearms in general, much less the military proficiency with using them.
Quick! Somebody call... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Serenity now!
Re:Good luck with that (Score:5, Insightful)
Hah!
I just noticed that if you go there on google maps and grab the little yellow man to get street view, the cursor turns into a flying saucer.
https://www.google.com/maps/pl... [google.com]
Re:Good luck with that (Score:4, Interesting)
Never mind the Del Taco, why is that dinosaur trying to eat yogurts?!
Apparently these people are stupid (Score:4, Insightful)
And I won't care when they are killed.
But, of course, nothing will happen of this except the few people arrested by MP and put into federal prison.
Re:Apparently these people are stupid (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, I mean, if several hundred thousand rocked up, what ARE they going to do?
Close the gates around anything important. Then calmly zip tie one idiot at a time and load them into trucks. It'll take hours, but a lot of people still not arrested will leave on their own after a while.
Re:Apparently these people are stupid (Score:5, Insightful)
"Several hundred thousand"? Not happening. Only a small fraction of those who signed up are going to show, if any do. And Area 51, being a secure military installation, will have security barriers. In the worst case, they might have to break out the tear gas, but I really doubt it'll come to that.
Re: (Score:2)
Well first of all this is clearly a joke - unfortunately a horde of conspiracy theorists won't be committing mass suicide-by-MP.
But if this were tried for real, the military's solution would be mass-murder to whatever extent is necessary, which would actually be very little, relatively speaking. Area 51 would bring in some light strike vehicles, truck-mounted nonlethal microwave/sonic weapons, and one or two attack helicopters in preparation. The first step would be to use the nonlethal weapons, display the
Gas the stupid fucks. (Score:2)
Then collect them on a truck as they writhe on the ground, blinded with CS and full of bruises and scrapes from blindly bumping into each other.
Process them and cart them over to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Re: Apparently these people are stupid (Score:2)
What crazy world do you live in where you think you need to kill more than one person? The attackers (and that's what they are) will stop immediately when the bullets start firing.
And if they don't, their killings are justified.
Re: (Score:2)
It's a military installation. Do you think they don't have weapons?
It's an Internet thing. Do you think the press won't be there, recording?
Re: (Score:3)
More specifically, they're not going to kill hundreds or thousands of American citizens on American soil while cameras are rolling and livestreaming to the internet.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Sonic Cannon, eh? I knew SEGA was inferior to Nintendo, but still...
Re:Apparently these people are stupid (Score:4, Informative)
Of course the military knows about all this already and will likely issue a statement to the press if it gets too far, reminding people that they will be arrested and perhaps shot at, they'd be breaking U.S. law, and so on. This won't even materialize in the end.
You only need to shoot the person in front (Score:3)
They are still not going to kill hundreds, or thousands of people.
You only need to shoot a handful, maybe only one, nearly everyone will flee at that point.
I used to live near a Strategic Air Command Base, B52's and nukes and stuff. At the perimeter fence there was a 200 yard strip where the natural terrain of shrubs and some rocks were landscaped in perfect flatness, like a football field of dirt, but twice as long. You know what this strip was called? The "kill zone". Cross into it in numbers where the security personnel don't think they have enough personnel to imme
Re: (Score:2)
And by "biological weapon" you mean those people are going to crap their pants?
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think you understand what a warning shot is supposed to be.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't forget the brown note cannon.
Re: (Score:2)
Please someone tell them that they can't feel the pain [wikimedia.org] if they're on drugs.
And please have someone film that.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't wish death on anyone- I leave that to Trump. But if you're going to challenge the legal authority of the US MIlitary, you'd better be prepared to suffer the consequences.
Re: (Score:2)
Somalia perhaps?
A few others have come close: Mexico, South Africa, pre-FDR USA, Victorian-era England.
Re: Apparently these people are stupid (Score:2)
Anarchy is not libertarian. It's not even close. Libertarians have more in common with socialists than they do anarchists.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Apparently these people are stupid (Score:2)
Anarchy is not libertarian. Libertarians support a government whose purpose is to protect your freedoms. Anarchists believe magical socialist ideals will turn everyone into hippies and that this will somehow make "society" work.
Re: (Score:2)
Anarchy is not libertarian. Libertarians support a government whose purpose is to protect your freedoms.
Libertarianism is a fairly broad range of political movements that hold 'liberty' as a core principle. Within that core principle, it leaves room for many different forms, including anarchism (both anarcho-communism on the left, and anarcho-capitalism on the right).
Re: (Score:2)
Or they watched The Matrix too many times.
Whole lot of people (Score:5, Insightful)
are going to find out rubber bullets hurt like hell and some paramilitary company is going to make a nice bit of money by having more security hired.
Re: (Score:3)
Its a military organisation. They will not be using rubber bullets!
t's bad PR to shoot a bunch of crazy civilians, so lethal force will be the last option. Also, if there's really a large crowd coming, then it's a perfect opportunity to test out non-lethal weapons for crowd control that have been developed over the years.
Re:Whole lot of people (Score:4, Funny)
it's a perfect opportunity to test out non-lethal weapons for crowd control that have been developed over the years
... from alien technology!
Re:Whole lot of people (Score:5, Insightful)
Area 51 is considered a Top Secret military installation and they will maintain security at any cost including using lethal force on a bunch of morons. I'd love for the government to declassify what has gone on there over the last 60+ years but I would be willing to bet anything I've ever owned or ever will own that no actual UFO or Alien discoveries have been made.
There are always leaks and with a history going back to the 1940s Area 51 would have had some legitimate leaks. If we had actually encountered aliens or found a crashed spacecraft from another world everyone would know about it. There was enough spying from the Manhattan project to give the Soviets the ability to fast track their own atomic bomb program. It's naïve to believe that with as many people who have worked at Area 51 we wouldn't know something if they had actual alien technology. I have no doubt that there have been foreign agents who made their way in there through the work force or workers who were turned into agents during their time there. A foreign government finding out the US had alien technology or biological samples would have definitely released that information somehow in the last 60 years. The fall of the USSR meant that a lot of documents concerning their espionage in foreign countries was found. Nothing about alien technology in Area 51.
I'm not saying there isn't some weird shit happening down there but there sure as shit aren't any aliens and nothing worth getting shot and killed trying to storm the gates.
Also I don't think these idiots have any idea how big Area 51 actually is. The security starts miles from any actual gates with sensors all over the desert. There are signs that tell you that you can and will be shot. Even with 10,000 morons they are unlikely to make it to the security fencing or gates. If they do they still have miles to go before they get to any actual buildings where something might be kept. They have to make it though a ton of people who will be shooting real guns with real bullets to get to those buildings and then have to find a way to get into secured buildings with strong doors, walls, and locks.
The only thing they would find would be classified military hardware that has been tested out in the desert over the decades. Probably some technology stolen from foreign powers that we took apart and examined. There is plenty of information that the place is a toxic mess and would qualify as a superfund site and be off limits simply because of how polluted it is from decades of fuel and other toxic compounds leaking or being dumped/burned.
Area 51 is just another conspiracy theory like jet chemtrails or there being a new world order or illuminati that is in control of the worlds governments behind the scenes. It's something a bunch of idiots came up with. Despite the fact that there is zero evidence to back up any of their theories they dismiss and ignore all the evidence that says they are dead wrong and demand that everyone believe them because "it could be true, you don't know" or some other useless argument.
So I don't think they should storm Area 51. However, if they do, I think it will give the gene pool a good cleaning of idiots who shouldn't be allowed to breed and spread their ignorance to another generation. Not that most of them were likely to see a vagina in real life even if they lived to 100 anyway. Make no mistake the guards there are authorized to use deadly force and they will use it to keep anyone out who isn't supposed to be there. It doesn't matter if it's one guy ignoring orders to surrender for trespassing or 5000 incels who think finding aliens will make all the cheerleaders want to spread their legs for them they will get shot if they don't immediately stop and surrender when ordered to. These aren't guards at a Selena Gomez concert, these folks are serious business and will do the job they were hired to do and that is to protect the security of the classified military installation they work at. They couldn't give a flying purple fuck about PR. They are there to keep people out at all costs.
Re: (Score:2)
Calling the idea a "conspiracy theory" gives it too much credit. I think "conspiracy conjecture" would be better.
Re: (Score:2)
The simplest solution is to take down the road signs and scramble the GPS signals over the area.
The desert will sort them out.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
When the crack of gunfire begins and the bullets start kicking up dust 50' in front of them, I'll put $100 on everyone turning around real quick and running in a panicked herd, trampling each other.
Plus good chances are that they'll have close air support too. Nothing like an Apache or A-10 flying low to really, really discourage a crowd. Not like any of them will be bringing the sort of hardware needed to take down a military aircraft.
An A-10 cannon line-in-the-sand 100' ahead of the crowd from 3000' is so
Re: (Score:2)
When the crack of gunfire begins and the bullets start kicking up dust 50' in front of them, I'll put $100 on everyone turning around real quick and running in a panicked herd, trampling each other.
Bullets fired in front of people have a good chance of kicking up and actually hitting them. They'd more likely use a sonic weapon, or tear gas.
Plus good chances are that they'll have close air support too.
I wouldn't bother to use any, the fuel costs more than repelling any tools dumb enough to show up is worth. Plus, it's just one more piece of expensive hardware to potentially go wrong and make the situation worse.
Re: (Score:2)
Just hover a few helicopters over the crowd. The sand blasting will take care of them.
Re: (Score:2)
You may be thinking of laws against using military for law enforcement purposes, but I'm pretty sure there are not laws against shooting people who invade a military installation, although I'm similarly sure that no one wants to have to do that. I'm fairly certain that there are signs posted that say "Use of deadly force is authorized." so don't say you weren't warned.
Re: Whole lot of people (Score:3)
Citation needed for those laws that protect civilians who are illegally entering a top secret military base. Please also include what the Fort Hood attacker did wrong to get shot, and why the laws didn't protect him.
No they haven't. (Score:5, Insightful)
I sincerely doubt that there are 300,000 actual people represented by this Facebook group.
But even if there are, there is absolutely zero chance that even 50 people show up to storm the gates at area 51. No need to waste any time pondering the what-if of it all. It ain't happening, and they all know it ain't happening.
I'm not sure why it is being covered as if it actually is a real attempt. The reporters have to know it isn't happening too...
Re: (Score:3)
I sincerely doubt that there are 300,000 actual people represented by this Facebook group.
Maybe 299,999 are Russian bots . . . ?
OTOH, how many folks in the US believe that measles vaccinations cause autism . . . ?
The best Area 51 conspiracy theory that I heard, was that Barack Obama didn't have a birth certificate, because he was cloned using the DNA from John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
At Area 51, using alien technology, of course.
Re: (Score:3)
I sincerely doubt that there are 300,000 actual people represented by this Facebook group.
Maybe 299,999 are Russian bots . . . ?
OTOH, how many folks in the US believe that measles vaccinations cause autism . . . ?
Considering the bots, it's hard to tell. Quote>
The best Area 51 conspiracy theory that I heard, was that Barack Obama didn't have a birth certificate, because he was cloned using the DNA from John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
At Area 51, using alien technology, of course.
It is also a terminus of one of Ol' Muskie's hyperloops that have another outlet in the Pizzagate restaurant, Where Hellery and the Bwana Devil entertain the Democratic parties bigwigs. Hint: Democrat comes from the Assyrian wor
Re: (Score:2)
I believe, sir, you have the right of it. More likely a small fraction of that are actual human idiots, the rest are 'bots and other fake accounts.
Now, I what I wonder is: which foreign government group of operatives are behind this?
Actually.... (Score:2)
If you actually believe the mythos surrounding the area, you would storm an area called "S4".
Area 51 proper isn't the target.
So while this thing is a wondrous troll illustration of Dunning-Kruger- these folks aren't even going to the right place.
Re: (Score:2)
Or they could visit the Area 51 Alien Museum. They have them all stuffed and on display in lifelike poses with description plates telling from where in the universe they hail.
Re: (Score:2)
We also have precisely zero clue about the existence of the Hogwarts school of magic, but how much credibility would you put in that ?
Riiight... (Score:5, Insightful)
If 20 people show up, it will be a miracle, and moreover, they are going to wind up getting arrested and learning nothing about what is going on. That's sticking it to the man!
The operators of these sorts of facilities do not screw around, they take their work very seriously, They aren't going to put up with a bunch of nerdy lunatics playing flying saucer.
You're right they don't screw around (Score:3)
One of my high school buddies joined the air force after graduating. I met up with him some years later, and he was telling me a rather funny and sad story. So, our local air base was serving as a diversion airport for Air Force Two for a vice-presidential visit happening in a city about an hour away. He worked with fueling, and said that the whole team had to be active, and the site secured.
So, some poor old bloke out for his morning walk took his morning stroll across the base, but not today. Area sec
Re: (Score:2)
They aren't going to put up with a bunch of nerdy lunatics playing flying saucer.
Was that a reference to the old PC game? It's relevant:
https://www.oldpcgaming.net/fl... [oldpcgaming.net]
This is great (Score:5, Funny)
Normally I'm all for peace but this presents a real opportunity to cull some of the lower IQ population.
Re: (Score:2)
Normally I'm all for peace but this presents a real opportunity to cull some of the lower IQ population.
It's a multi objective operation. On one hand you have a hoard of 20 or so energy drink humanoid underground dwellers either chickening out, or bum rushing a millitary installation. I can't picture a scenario where this isn't a priceless meme gold mine.
Re: (Score:3)
I want to bet that 99% of the people that would actually show up for this event are going to be white.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Why would you bet that unless you were a racist?
Because it's impossible to be racist against white people. Those are the rules.
Re: (Score:2)
reading comprehension fail.
Clearly the plan is to race to "see them aliens."
WCGW (Score:2)
What could go wrong?
mass balconing! (Score:2)
that's a splendid idea. traditional balconing is way too slow.
google maps (Score:3)
Funny, if you go to Google maps near area 51 (extraterrestrial highway), and pick up the yellow 'streetview guy' he changes into a flying saucer.
Well, it's not the first time ... (Score:2)
... that very stupid ideas have become a mass phenomenon on Facebook.
Re: (Score:2)
It's a lot more like "big talk has become a mass phenomenon on Facebook". Keyboard warriors, activate!
My cat is smarter (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
>"My cat tries to open the door by closing it. My cat is smarter than these people." :)
One of my cats could open any door, as long as it wasn't locked. Fascinating to watch him.
Another could sometimes open doors, but wasn't very good at it.
Another did exactly what yours does- managed to close and latch doors she wanted to open.
And another..... she had the best method of all... she would annoy the **** out of me until I opened it for her. Hey- whatever works!
And over the many years, I noticed that many
This is why (Score:3)
God invented the AC-130J Ghostrider.
Too expensive. (Score:2)
The Desert (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
A few breakdowns? Better prep might be to go in a reliable vehicle...
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The heat would likely incapaciate if not outright kill more trespassers than actual weapons.
Re: (Score:2)
It's July.
September 20, actually...not that it makes much difference. It's still Burning Man territory.
This is why we can't have nice things... (Score:2)
Lethal force authorized... (Score:3)
When you pass the sign that says "Use of Lethal Force Authorized" and the shooting starts don't come crying to me you loonies.
Before you start blathering on about UFO's and extraterrestrials having landed which are being hidden at Area 51, ask yourselves some serious questions.. The most important one is this: Why did the skylab astronauts get .in trouble for inadvertently snapping a picture of Area 51 from space? Seriously why? It wasn't because they were trying to hide aliens and a photo from space was going to show them.
The truth about Area 51 is that it is just a flight testing center for classified military aircraft and that's all it's ever really been. It's in a remote location, adjacent to a number of military flight training areas which is literally out in the middle of nowhere. Places so remote it is close to where we did the majority of our underground nuclear tests in the 50's and 60's. Groom lake (Area 51) makes a really nice natural runway, flat and hard, for emergency landings, much like Edwards Airforce base, just with a whole lot less people living nearby. Area 51 is just a private place to test stuff when you want to keep things a secret, like the first stealth aircraft, or things where you don't really want people to get pictures of them.
My advice is you forget about Area 51 and all the conspiracy theories about UFO's, don't bother the place or the guards who are stuck with the job of guarding it. Trespassing here can and will get you shot at times, though most likely you will just get detained, charged with trespassing and fined while the most interesting thing you will see up close is the sand and scrub on the ground while the guard has his knee in you back putting the cuffs on.
Save everybody the aggravation. Just stay home.
Someone needs to explain the concept of an ADS. (Score:2)
An ADS, Area Denial System, uses various biological weaknesses in humans to create conditions very unpleasant for humans that are not usually fatal. Several of these systems are classified, but are believed to include excruciatingly loud sound systems and microwave transmitters that create the sensation of being burned alive without actually creating permanent harm.
If you combine this with conventional crowd control systems like firehoses, CS gas, rubber bullets, and bean bag rounds ...
It should suffice to
Re: (Score:2)
They only need to close the gates to stop cars and trucks.
Considering it would probably be a bunch of fat nerds going there and actually going through with this, I'd say the first line of defense is the distance from the gates to the actual buildings. They'll never make it on foot.
Drones? (Score:2)
Would it be possible to do their thing with drones? Is it even possible to fly 10,000 drones at the same place?
Re: (Score:2)
Would it be possible to do their thing with drones? Is it even possible to fly 10,000 drones at the same place?
Absolutely, but if they're not aware of one another, there will be fratricide if you don't string them out considerably, making them easier to intercept. You can assume that GPS will be interfered with, so your drones are going to have to use some other method of navigation. Maybe the compass is enough. Altitude is cheap and good enough with even a cheap barometer. Communication between drones should be something encrypted and spread-spectrum, probably wifi for cost reasons. Not sure how many nodes you can
Re: (Score:2)
It doesn't matter. There is nothing to see from above.
Maybe the mob could do something good (Score:2)
Instead of chasing after a site that doesn't exist, maybe they could try rushing a location in the USA known to do bad things.
A company dumps toxic waste into a river and the government does nothing? Swarm the company. Various other companies can count as candidates, whether it's wage theft, anti-unionization, civil rights violations, or even trying to entrap members into a cult-like program.
Or perhaps those people can instead look at the current political climate, and instead start encouraging people to th
Re: (Score:2)
People should congregate together and occupy a location that is a scene of major financial crimes that lead to massive losses of wealth by ordinary people, say, Wall Street. I'm sure they will have so much dedication that they won't let the message get off track.
Re: (Score:2)
eh, Area 51 definitely exists and is used for R&D and testing of aircraft and weapons systems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Good, now we have a list of confirmed idiots (Score:2)
We can skip the usual testing process and immediately proceed with lobotomy and sterilization.
Re: (Score:2)
Why the heck would they open fire? A few cans of teargas and all the weebs will go down.
They have numbers, but the military has AoE attacks and a chokepoint.
Re: (Score:2)
Why the heck would they open fire?
Opportunity to cull some of the lower IQ people holding civilisation back?
Re: (Score:2)
...
Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
Joking aside, it's 300k people from facebook. That auto-qualifies them for that I think.
Re:Russians again (Score:5, Insightful)
I imagine the neckbeards would get tired storming across a few miles of desert even if there weren't tear gas and attack helicopters overhead.
Re: (Score:2)
It would be simple enough to set up roadblocks 30-40 miles away, and send back every car that has no legitimate business in the area, making the trek through empty desert even more than a 'few miles'.
Re: (Score:2)
Apparently it's still in use for testing of stealth UAVs, and countermeasures against them. They even keep some old F-117A's flying to use as a baseline for low-observable tech. It's one of the few airfields they have that's far enough from anyone that they can do stuff secretly at night still, taking careful note of when foreign IR surveillance sats are above.
Be glad for the facility. It's a national treasure, even though we never get to see it. We need good clandestine R&D locations, especially after
Re: (Score:2)
To be honest they should really consider just opening the thing up for a tour. They don't even use it as an actual facility anymore. Part of the facility is radioactive from projects performed there in the past so they could close off those areas.
Even if they have zero secrets of any kind there, it would be a pain in the ass to have to keep morons from running around off the tour path.
Re: TRUMP LEADING THE MASS OF KRAZIES! (Score:5, Insightful)
Gentlemen, gentlemen, they can both end up in prison as a result of the Epstein trial :-)
Re: (Score:2)
LOL truth XD
Re: (Score:2)
They ought to just fake-alien-abduct them all and drop them off in Florida.
Re: (Score:2)
that's fine, contrary to their misconceptions the USAF can in fact stop all of them. It's a weapons testing area after all, there are immense amounts of ordnance there and soldiers to protect it.
Re: (Score:2)