Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, has been the scene of a surreal demonstration.
The mobilization was not intended to claim any injustice or support or reject any politician, but was a ‘anti-bird’ congregation under the slogan “Birds do not exist”.
However, while the idea may sound a bit far-fetched at first glance, it makes some sense. According to its organizers, the demonstration was based on a peculiar conspiracy theory that the birds have been replaced by surveillance drones operated by the government to control the population.
The posters, clothing, and quirky hats made of tin foil quickly stole the attention of social media users and passersby watching them.
Hilo 🧵Os dejamos algunas imágenes de la mani de ayer. Seguiremos subiendo contenido a nuestro Instagram https://t.co/lXEWIXK7S6 ¡Gracias a todos por venir! Pronto más 🕊️🚫 pic.twitter.com/XD4ihYy2jk
— LosPájarosNoExisten.com (@LPNE_org) May 26, 2024
However, the truth is that the demonstration was more satirical than vindictive. In fact, organizers and attendees used the rally to parody and criticize similar conspiracy theories circulating on social media and other internet platforms. Expressions like these seek to highlight how absurd and ridiculous these types of theories can be.
Organizers say the demonstration achieved its goal by going viral, opening the debate on the credibility and impact of this type of information in today’s society.
According to an article published by The New York Times, titled Aren’t Birds Real? In the bowels of a Gen Z conspiracy theory, the creator of this movement (Birds Aren’t Real). it’s Peter McIndoe and the idea came up during a feminist counter-feminist against Trump. From that moment on, he began to invent arguments and false advertisements, content on social networks and even organized a demonstration in front of the headquarters of the old Twitter to ask it to change its logo, because it was a bird (and these do not exist).
“Birds Aren’t Real is not a superficial satire of conspiracies from the outside. It’s a satire from the depths.” “A lot of people of our generation feel the insanity in all of this, and Birds Aren’t Real has been a way for people to process it,” he told the NYT.
This article was written in Spanish by Daniel Matute in Cultura Colectiva
