The Joke That Nearly Became an Incident
Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us was a June 2019 Facebook event proposing a mass raid on the secretive Nevada military base to “see them aliens.” What started as obvious satire snowballed into 2M+ RSVPs, government warnings, and an actual gathering that became a music festival instead of an invasion.
The Facebook Event (June 27, 2019)
On June 27, 2019, Matty Roberts created a satirical Facebook event: “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us,” scheduled for September 20, 2019 at 3 AM. The description: “We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry. If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let’s see them aliens.”
The “Naruto run” reference (arms-back anime sprint supposedly enabling super-speed) signaled this was a joke. But within 48 hours, 500K+ people had RSVP’d “Going.” By July, it was 2M+.
Viral Escalation (July-September 2019)
The meme exploded into mainstream:
- News coverage: CNN, BBC reporting on potential “raid”
- Military response: U.S. Air Force warned trespassers would be met with force
- Government concerns: Nevada authorities preparing for mass tourism
- Memes: Battle plans, alien raid strategies, Naruto running montages
- Corporate participation: Arby’s, Bud Light, others joining meme
The joke became too big. Local businesses worried about infrastructure strain. Event creator Roberts got FBI visits, clarified it was satire, distanced himself from actual raid plans.
The Actual Event (September 20, 2019)
On September 20, 2019, approximately 3,000 people showed up near Area 51 (not 2M). No mass storming occurred. Instead:
- Alienstock festival: Impromptu music festival in Rachel, Nevada
- Peaceful gathering: People partied, took photos, bought alien merch
- Two arrests: Minor trespassing (not mass raid)
- Anti-climax: The joke stayed a joke
The event demonstrated internet culture’s relationship with reality—millions engage with absurdity online, but very few show up IRL. The gap between digital commitment and physical action protected the joke from becoming tragedy.
Cultural Legacy
Area 51 raid became case study in:
- Viral event organizing: How internet jokes can terrify authorities
- Meme literalism: When satire gets taken seriously
- Digital vs. physical participation: 2M online ≠ 2M in person
- Government overreaction: Military threats to obvious jokes
The phrase “they can’t stop all of us” outlived the event, used ironically for any collective action (serious or absurd).
Sources:
- BBC: “Storm Area 51: What happened in the Nevada desert?” (2019)
- The Guardian: “Area 51 raid: Thousands descend on Nevada desert” (2019)
- New York Times: “Area 51 Event Started as a Joke. But the Joke Got Out of Hand.” (2019)