Halloween mayhem as hundreds flock to Dublin city center for fake parade promoted online

October 31, 2024, 11:43 p.m

In what can only be described as a bit of Halloween mischief, hundreds of people were tricked into taking part in a fake parade in Dublin on Thursday night.

Crowds gathered in the Irish city on Thursday night to celebrate the spooky holiday, but unbeknownst to them, the event appeared to have been conjured by AI.

Details of the fake parade spread across social media, according to local reports, with Twitter, TikTok and Instagram playing a central role.

The website where the fake news apparently came from, called myspirithalloween.com, claimed the parade would start in Parnell Square before taking revelers on a stroll to Temple Bar.

Images on social media showed what appeared to be hundreds of people gathered on the streets of Dublin in anticipation.

But the excitement quickly died down when officials confirmed that no such parade was planned in the city.

A Gardai spokesman said: “Please be advised that, contrary to information circulating online, there are no Halloween parades scheduled to take place in Dublin city center this evening or tonight.

“All those gathered on O’Connell Street in anticipation of such a parade are asked to disperse safely.”

The statement continued: “If you need our help or assistance we are on patrol in O’Connell Street and the surrounding areas tonight and tonight – please do not hesitate to stop in and speak to us.”

Locals flooded social media following the hoax, with one user writing: An Illinois-based AI random slop site, aided by social media, apparently tricked hundreds of people onto Dublin’s high street for a Halloween parade that didn’t never took place. “

While another said: “If this was a test then I failed. Some people believe in any old stuff once it’s on screen.”