The test of the national emergency alert system will actually trigger a society-wide, vaccine-induced zombie apocalypse… according to some weird corners of the web.
Why fear an automated text message? The reasons are mind-bendingly ludicrous, but surf long-running waves of disinformation around 5G networks, the COVID vaccines, and a nefarious federal government intent on harming its citizens.
“These tests and exercises or drills, if you prefer, are always preceding of, or simultaneous with, an actual created crisis,” the Hawaii-based pastor J.D. Farag said in a recent sermon, clips of which spread on X and TikTok.
“The crisis is first simulated and then created,” said Farag, who has nearly 300,000 subscribers on his “End Times news and global events” YouTube page, before comparing the impending event to the Sept. 11 attacks and COVID-19.
Jason Shurka, a spirituality influencer with around 170,000 followers each on YouTube and Instagram, warned followers in videos last month that an emergency broadcast, “disguised as a test,” would send a high-frequency signal to devices across the country “with the intention of activating graphene oxide and other nanoparticles that have been inserted into billions of human beings around the world through the obvious mediums,” presumably a reference to the COVID-19 vaccine.
On Truth Social, the Trump-backed social media network, one QAnon influencer noted the emergency test coincided with rumored nuclear evacuation drills in Russia and warned, “You and your body have been continuously assaulted by every poison, bioagent, medication, and criminal warfare device (millimeter, x-rays, and microwaves) conceivable, for your entire lives.”
And on TikTok, one since-removed video included the caption, “Y’all get ready. October 4th their [sic] activating Marburg virus through 5 g signal which they are activating on October 4. This will affect anyone who took the shots.” The accompanying video featured anti-vaccine activist Todd Callender warning that a 5G broadcast would cause “liquid nanoparticles to swell” and release heretofore contained pathogens into the bodies of COVID-19 vaccine recipients, causing “a Marburg epidemic” as well as, really, a race of human zombies. (The Marburg virus is a dangerous hemorrhagic fever virus.)
On Reddit, one user shared what they claimed was a text message from their landlord, notifying tenants that “we intend to enter your apartment and shut off your power” for two hours because of the supposed fire risk to “all our multiple appliances that we furnish for all of the apartments.” The same text message warned tenants of a distinct risk for “the Covid vax’d.”
The news isn’t all bad: At least a few conspiracy-theory-minded webizens see the Wireless Emergency Alerts test as a positive development: One Truth Social user, for example, pointed out that the digits in the military times for the announced start and end to the test, 14:20 and 14:50, added up to 17 ― a supposed reference to Q, the 17th letter in the alphabet and a calling card for the QAnon conspiracy theory.
“PROOF The White Hats Control the 10/4 EAS Test!” the post announced, using a slang term for upstanding patriots.
“According to some, White Hats have full control of communications,” another Truth Social user posted separately. “If anything these vibrations will be healing frequencies so I’m told…… I for one am not taking any measures to hide my phone…..”
while this asinine conspiracy crap is over the top, there is at least one reason to be aware of the EBS test... specifically for people that may be hiding a phone - for many legit reasons, including a domestic violence situation. making sure the phone is completely powered off (and will not alert) for the test may prevent a nasty domestic encounter. that is all.
Get on Right wing forums and tell them this test has been aborted, because all the clever paranoid nutjobs were onto them.
But, in fact, the test has just been rescheduled to a random time, or rather at random times for the next year or so. Until Biden's time is up and Trump is declared Supreme Emperor I guess. Because really, if you were really conspiring to send a mind control message, you wouldn't broadcast the date & time ffs.
So the only safe thing to do is to turn off their devices, all their devices, and leave them off until after the next election. That includes TVs, of course, and especially Fox News, cuz the Democrats know that Fox News viewers are more cautious and took fewer vaccines, so they'll have scheduled extra Emergency Broadcasts for them.
Fast forward a year, in which all the crazies have to go out and live on the real world and talk to real people, and we might just have a sane country back. At the very least, we'd have a year off...
They think a cellphone has the ability to "activate vaccines and give people Marbug virus", but for some reason think if they turn their phone off to not get the message, that's the only time the signal could be sent out?
Cherry on top:
I saw a different article about this where the nut jobs were telling people to mask up because chemtrails are going to happen at the same time. Also something about drones that send out the signal?
Even entertaining this theory for a second longer than I really want to, why in these people’s minds would the US government want to destroy itself by turning its citizens into zombies?
And on TikTok, one since-removed video included the caption, “Y’all get ready. October 4th their [sic] activating Marburg virus through 5 g signal which they are activating on October 4. This will affect anyone who took the shots.” The accompanying video featured anti-vaccine activist Todd Callender warning that a 5G broadcast would cause “liquid nanoparticles to swell” and release heretofore contained pathogens into the bodies of COVID-19 vaccine recipients, causing “a Marburg epidemic” as well as, really, a race of human zombies. (The Marburg virus is a dangerous hemorrhagic fever virus.)
Oh, that'll be easy to disprove when I eat their face because human flesh is a rare delicacy, not because I'm a zombie. They'll be so mad, I bet.
Edit: After the FEMA message, I'm definitely liquid nano-particley. Am I going to see the Mars bugs soon?
It baffles me on stupid some of the human race is. How do they function? I know they're fueled by fear and hate but to actually function and hold a job is just astonishing to me.
Do you remember pre-mass-adoption of the internet? These headlines remind of the hoax/canned spam emails, like the, "forward this on to 50 people or a loved one will die" type stuff.
Back then idiot friends would occasionally sign in to AOL from dial up and send those to me. Decades later we've turned the hoax email "To: field" into an "@" soap box that reaches thousands and echoes far quicker. I think we used to be blissfully ignorant and much less influenced back then. I miss that version of my mom, the one that didn't think masks are satanic rituals.
E: I don't want to come off as head in the sand, old ways are the best... I've developed a much better world view since the internet came along and that's a good thing.
Man, I remember growing up in the 80s where we had a test of the emergency broadcast system every month, and like clockwork there was a manufactured crisis. The 80s were wild.
I'm so glad I quit my last job so I don't have to get brain cancer listening to these conspiracies discussed in earnest from my christofascist manager and her bootlicking sidekick
I love these morons... "I'm an open heart surgery survivor and I've had the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines like 5 times now? 6 times? Need to check my vaccine card... No problems, no Covid either."
I mean, we had a similar test in the UK ages ago so surely they realise this hasn't affected vaccinated people?... What do they think it's going to do, exactly?
I was curious if my phone would work in the microwave since it's supposed to be a farriday cage and I was able to maintain a call and yell at my microwave to carry on a conversation with the person on the other end.
"Jason Shurka" is not a spirituality influencer, they are just a conspiracy theorist who co-opted spirituality like the right does with co-opting things and turning them into a message of hate
Spirituality is free of religous dogma and dogma in general as it is a personal practice that the individual can tune to their needs
Don't let these kinds of people co-opt spirituality and use it as a thinly veiled facade to spread hate and misinformation, bigotry and dogma