Hundreds of protesters took over a city square in support of a conspiracy theory that birds aren't real and are actually drones operated by the government to spy on the public.
Those in attendance waved signs reading slogans like 'Big Bird is watching you' and 'Pigeons are liars', while booing every time any birds flew overhead.
There were brief but good-humoured clashes with a counter protest that argued that birds are, in fact, real. They held signs of their own such as “We Demand Birds Aren’t Real’s Tax Returns”.
The two groups had gathered in Washington Square Park, New York, in the latest event spawning from a conspiracy theory wildly popular among young people.
The satirical movement was setup in 2017 by Peter McIndoe, who modelled it off the various conspiracy theories that gripped the US at the time.
According to the 'Birds aren't real' theory, the US government exterminated all birds in the country during the 1960s and replaced them with lookalike drones.
Common aspects of bird behaviour such as sitting on power lines and pooing on cars is explained, according to the theory, because the power lines allow the 'drones' to recharge and the poo is used to track people.
Their website, links the killing of J.F.K. to his apparent desire to shut down the bird program being conducted by the CIA.
Claire Chronis, the public information officer for Birds Aren’t Real., previously told the New York Times: “It’s a way to combat troubles in the world that you don’t really have other ways of combating.”
“My favourite way to describe the organisation is fighting lunacy with lunacy.”
In November 2021 protesters supporting the movement gathered outside Twitter ’s headquarters in San Francisco, demanding the social media platform change its bird logo.
One of the attendees of this latest protest told Washington Square News : “I’d seen other rallies in other cities before.
“I just moved here a month ago, so I was like, ‘I’m totally going to go.’”
Founder McIndoe led the protest standing on top of a van with 'Birds Aren't Real' painted across the side.
“The police are trying to stop us,” McIndoe announced to the crowd. “Who do you think called them here?”
“The birds,” the crowd shouted back.
Despite the enthusiasm at the protest, McIndoe has previously admitted that the conspiracy theory is satirical.
He said: “Dealing in the world of misinformation for the past few years, we’ve been really conscious of the line we walk.
“The idea is meant to be so preposterous, but we make sure nothing we’re saying is too realistic. That’s a consideration with coming out of character.”
