【2018 Archives】

018 Archivesaliens might not be coming to Area 51, but the alien truthers have already started to show up.

Early Friday morning — ahead of Alienstock, the music festival in Rachel, Nevada, that was organized after the viral Facebook event to storm Area 51 — a group of around 75 to 100 sign-wielding alien hunters gathered at an entrance to the mysterious U.S. Air Force base.

The gathering, which has been referred to as a "pre-dawn celebration," reportedly took place around 3:00 a.m. PT. People in costumes, UFO and alien enthusiasts, and tourists responded to the call, and arrived at a gate that was being guarded by armed members of law enforcement. The mood seemed joyful and positive.

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SEE ALSO: Yes, people actually showed up to the Area 51 music festival

Photos and tweets from attendees show the early morning scene in greater detail.

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Alien-hunters gather to "storm" Area 51. Credit: BRIDGET BENNETT / AFP / Getty Images Attendees depart after gathering to "storm" Area 51. Credit: BRIDGET BENNETT / AFP / Getty Images A man poses for photos as attendees gather to "storm" Area 51. Credit: BRIDGET BENNETT / AFP / Getty Images Members of law enforcement stand near barb wire, as people gathered to "storm" Area 51. Credit: BRIDGET BENNETT / AFP / Getty Images

People posed for photographs with handmade signs that said things like, "Save ET from the government," and "Locked up for what?" and chanting "clam them cheeks," which is a joking reference to alien sex and has become a rallying cry for the event.

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Law enforcement officials reportedly blocked off the road to Area 51 about a mile from the gate to prevent it from being "stormed," which is why this group of attendees had to walk,per the Las Vegas Review Journal.Las Vegas Review-Journa

"They’re just here to see what’s going on," Sergeant Orlando Guerra of the Nevada Department of Public Safety Investigation Division said, per Reuters. "They’re here to have fun."

According to the Washington Post, one person was arrested for urinating near the gate.

Stay tuned for more Mashable coverage to see how the music festival plays out.

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