New York Tunnel Chaos Sparks Viral Batman Jokes

New York City needs the Caped Crusader Batman, according to some social media users, as more videos and images are shared online of the underground tunnel exposed in the city.

On January 9, news of an underground tunnel discovered under the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn started to break, with the content hitting viral heights and making headlines.

@kirawontmiss reposted an account that shared a collage of three images of police officers entering a tunnel on X, formerly Twitter, and added the caption: "New York City is literally Gotham City because wtf is even going on anymore." The post has gone viral, with more than 17 million views.

The original post was captioned: "BREAKING: NYC Mayor Eric Adams orders 'every cop in the city' into the tunnels to 'find their source.'"

Dedicated DC fans pointed out that the three images in the original post were actually movie stills from the 2012 blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises, which starred Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Hence the reposter's remark about Gotham City.

One commenter responded with an image of villain Bane and said: "The person who's waiting for them at the end of the tunnel." Tom Hardy played Bane in the 2012 flick.

Other comments poured in, with one saying: "This was literally my first thought like what is happening?"

Another read: "NYC is just Gotham City with no Batman, btw."

GIFs were used to accompany several posts. One showed a tired individual smoking with the caption: "Commissioner Gordon at the start of 2024."

One movie buff predicted the tunnel story will make it to the screen: "There will definitely be a movie about this in a few years."

A NYPD spokesperson previously told Newsweek that officers were called to the synagogue on Monday following reports that "a group of individuals unlawfully entered" the location by breaking a wall. WABC news among other outlets reported that a dispute occurred when construction crews arrived to fill the tunnel and some individuals disagreed with the decision.

As reported by The New York Times, nine arrests have been made.

Motti Seligson, a Chabad spokesperson wrote on X earlier this week that: "Some time ago, a group of extremist students broke through a few walls in adjacent properties to the synagogue at 784-788 Eastern Parkway, to provide them unauthorized access."

He went on to say that a cement truck was brought in to carry out repairs, but the work was disrupted by "extremists who broke through the wall to the synagogue, vandalizing the sanctuary, in an effort to preserve their unauthorized access."

Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters on X (@Lubavitch) shared a statement from Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky on January 9 that said: "The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway Monday night" and thanked the NYPD for its "professionalism and sensitivity."

Newsweek has reached out to the NYPD via email for updated information.

Another post on X linked to the tunnel came from Collin Rugg, co-owner of the website TrendingPolicitics, who shared a video of the "chaos" that broke out when the attempt to fill it was made. The post has been viewed more than 46 million times.