Social media users are ridiculing the ‘pathetic’ turn out at the ‘Storm Area 51’ event in rural Nevada, after it only managed to attract a relatively small crowd.
Just 75 people turned up outside the highly-classified military base on Friday morning, according to reports, despite more than 2 million claiming they would attend the event on Facebook.
A further 1500 people are estimated to have made it to the nearby towns of Rachel and Hiko – although officials were bracing for up to 50,000 alien enthusiasts to descend upon the area.
Pictures from outside the back gate of Area 51 – the military facility long thought to harbor government secrets about extraterrestrial activity – show police texting and looking bored as small crowds of inoffensive alien hunters mingled around.
With nothing else to do, several officers even volunteered to appear in photos with the people who bothered to turn up to the gates in their outlandish costumes.
The lack of collective ‘storming’ of the Air Force base amused Twitter users, who dubbed the event ‘pathetic’ and roasted the small crowd by sharing hilarious memes.
Late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel got in on the act, sharing a photoshopped image that showed him standing in front of the gates wearing a tin-foil hat and brandishing a pizza.
Social media users are ridiculing the ‘pathetic’ turn out at the ‘Storm Area 51’ event in rural Nevada, after it only managed to attract a relatively small crowd. One officer is seen on his phone on Friday night, as a meager crowd of alien hunters mingled at the gate of the Air Force base
The lack of collective ‘storming’ of the Air Force base amused Twitter users, who dubbed the event ‘pathetic’ and roasted the small crowd by sharing hilarious memes
‘Where is everyone? We brought pizza’, Kimmel wisecracked.
Meanwhile, another Twitter user labelled the event a ‘bid disappointment’, sharing a meme which showed two juxtaposing images.
‘How everyone expected the Area 51 raid to take place,’ they wrote above a picture of monsters engaged in violent combat with robots.
‘What actually happened,’ they then deadpanned above a still of four King Of The Hill characters standing around drinking beer.
Meanwhile, a second similar ‘Expectation VS Reality’ meme was also widely shared on social media.
Another meme showed Will Smith standing in an empty room below a caption that read: ‘When you’re the only person that actually took it serious and went to Area 51’.
Rather than wrestle with authorities and break into the Air Force Base, most of those who turned up texted, twerked and took photos
The mood was mostly festive at the back gate of Area 51 on Friday night
Authorities appeared bored as they stood around and easily managed the small crowd
One millennial alien hunter sat around playing on his phone
One woman – aged in her 60s- was arrested after trying to trespass onto the Area 51 base.
Another man was reportedly arrested for public urination nearby.
However, rather than wrestle with authorities and break into the Air Force Base, most of those who turned up texted, twerked and took photos, meaning that the mood was largely festive.
According to The Guardian only five people have been arrested during the large-scale event, which will continue over the weekend.
Cops were resigned to posing with alien hunters as they were easily able to maintain the jovial crowd
Rather than storm the highly-classified facility, one tourist took to skateboarding outside the gates
Cops performed crowd management outside the gates of Area 51 on Friday night
According to The Guardian only five people have been arrested during the large-scale event, which will continue over the weekend.
Tourists and conspiracy theorists have been mingling at a concert known as ‘Alienstock’ in the town of Rachel.
The small communities of Rachel and neighboring Hiko – which have a combined population of 175 – had been concerned as to whether they would be able to cope with the expected influx of visitors.
However, thus far, it appears things have been easily manageable.
Tourists and conspiracy theorists have been mingling at a concert known as ‘Alienstock’ in the town of Rachel
A small crowd was seen dancing at the Alienstock event on Friday near Rachel on Friday evening