What began as a joke on Facebook has turned into a global phenomenon, and the “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us†event has grown daily. The Facebook page that was created by a gamer, a meme generator, and an event planner, was posted on June 27. As of Thursday, there were more than 1.5 million people signed up to attend.
The concept was originally meant to be satirical. The trio had talked about the famous Nevada Air Force base, where legend has it that aliens from another planet, as well as spaceships, are stored. The location, which is about 138 miles north from Las Vegas, has been shrouded in secrecy for decades.
While the creators are aren’t taking this seriously, oddsmakers have taking advantage of the event, and have posted prop bets on the September 20 happenings. Bovada posted a line on whether Area 51 will be raided. The yes is 3/1, while the no is 1/5.
Storm Area 51 Prop Bets
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- Will the raid take place? Yes 3/1, No 1/5
- O/U 2.3 million attending: Over -180, Under +140
- O/U 9.5 people arrested: Over +280, Under -350
- Aliens discovered: Yes +6000, No -50000
Internet site Bookmaker.eu has three bets associated with the raid. The first is how many people will sign up as going. More than 2.3 million is at -180, while the under is +140. The second wager is an over/under on how many people will be arrested. The line is set at 9.5, with the over at +280, and the under at -350. The last prop bet is whether USA Today newspaper will announce that aliens or alien artifacts were discovered between September 20-27. The yes is at +6000, while the no is at -50000.
Battle Plans Drawn
The strategy for storming Area 51 has been posted on the Facebook page, but is also started to show up on other websites. The instructions are to meet at a local tourist attraction, and travel to the site, about 72 miles from the base. Then once the caravan reaches Area 51 to run Naruto style, which is a style of running popularized by the Japanese anime character of the same name, in which the arms are held behind the body while in motion.
“We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry,†the event explains. “If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let’s see them aliens.â€
Air Force Not Laughing
The site was intended as a joke, but with followers closing in on two million people, it is hard to discern who is laughing, and who is taking it seriously. The Air Force is definitely not laughing. They have put out statements to the media talking about the consequences of trespassing on an active military installation.
“Any attempt to illegally access the area is highly discouraged,†a statement released by the Air Force said.
Laura McAndrews, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, told the Washington Post that they were aware of the event and said, “[Area 51] is an open training range for the US Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces. The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets.â€
Anyone caught on the site will be subject to arrest and face at minimum of a $750 fine. There are also signs around the area warning that the use of deadly force has been authorized.