This past weekend was definitely an interesting one. Last weekend people actually went to Area 51, specifically the city of Rachel, Nevada to supposedly “raid” Area 51, which started as an internet meme this past summer. According to a New York Times article, over 3,000 people went to the tiny town of Rachel, Nevada just outside the Area 51 base.
Source: New Scientist
This whole “raid” on Area 51 started out as a Facebook event called “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,” which was created back in June. The creator of this Facebook event publicly stated that the whole event was a joke, but that definitely didn’t stop people from organizing the physical event and showing up.
Source: New York Times
If you’re like me, I definitely didn’t think the raid on Area 51 was actually going to happen, so I was a bit surprised when I heard that people showed up to the back gate of Area 51 at 3 am last Friday, which of course was being heavily guarded by the military. While visitors did not “raid” the military base, they mostly just pretended to invade. A lot of people that went to Area 51 that day said “We just wanted to see people like us.”
Source: Web Mediums
That said, people took this raid SERIOUSLY. Since there are no hotels for about 50 miles, people came in campers and RVs, some people set up tents right there in the dirt, and some just drove up and laid under the stars (maybe they were trying to see some aliens looking down on them? ?). Nearby in Hiko, Nevada, where the Alien Research Center is located, another event was held that featured music alongside history and lore surrounding the Area 51 military base.
Source: Roadtrippers
Overall, the “raid” on Area 51 wasn’t really a raid. Instead, it was just a gathering of people who wanted to find out a little more on this mysterious military base and meet like-minded people. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next with Area 51. Also, shout out to the New York Times for inspiring this article!
Source: Pinterest
If you’re feeling the alien vibes, go check out this Pinterest board I created with some wallpapers for your phone! They’re sure to keep you thinking about those aliens allll day. Happy seeking ?