In a somewhat expected turn of events, the feverishly hyped portal art project linking Dublin and New York via live video has been slammed shut after less than a week.
Thanks to a wave of scandalous antics, “The Portal” designed to bridge the gap between the two cities via a continuous live stream displayed on circular screens, is currently inactive. Mainly because what should’ve been a beacon to foster unity through connection quickly turned into a cesspool of chaos.
At first, reports surfaced of portal users unleashing a barrage of swear words and even transmitting NSFW footage via the feed. Then, earlier this week, reports of a user flashing images of the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks from Dublin to New York viewers went viral. To add insult to injury, a salute to the deceased rapper Pop Smoke was presented on the screen immediately before the incident occurred.
The scandalous incident involving footage of the 9/11 attacks, captured by a Dublin user and broadcasted in New York, has sent shockwaves across social media, racking up millions of views. However, in the grand scheme of things, it’s a minor scandal compared to the epic debauchery that has since unfolded.
In another occurrence, a man in Dublin dropped his pants and exposed his rear end in the portal. And this followed an incident in which another male individual showed pornography in The Portal. However, it appears as though the final straw may have been an OnlyFans model unleashing her breasts on the stream.
Dublin City Council and the Flatiron Nomad Partnership in New York were left scrambling, forced to hit the emergency shutdown button. They’ve vowed to implement stricter measures to curb this wild behavior, but can they really contain the chaos? Both cities are now on high alert, with Dublin City Council promising technical solutions within 24 hours and the Flatiron Nomad Partnership beefing up security with more staff and barriers.
Originally slated to run until autumn, The Portal’s future now hangs in the balance. Will it reopen, or is this the end of the line for Dublin and New York’s digital connection?
Check out the wild video above.