The invitation quickly went viral on social media, drawing hundreds of participants (Photo: @HolyMolySakura/X)Hundreds of people gathered at Chicago’s Millennium Park on November 8 in an unusual attempt to push the city’s iconic Cloud Gate sculpture, popularly known as ‘The Bean’, exactly seven inches to the left. The bizarre gathering was inspired by an internet conspiracy theory claiming that a man is trapped inside the massive steel structure.According to CBS News, the event began with an anonymous flyer inviting people to participate in an initiative titled ‘Push the Bean’. The invitation quickly went viral on social media, drawing hundreds of participants who assembled around the sculpture at 12.47 pm on Sunday.Good afternoon, everyone☕️:)Only in Chicago!Hundreds of people gathered at Millennium Park on November 8, 2026, to push a giant stainless steel sculpture exactly 7 inches to the left.Yes, you read that correctly.SEVEN INCHES! 藍But why?Apparently, an internet joke claimed that a man was trapped inside Chicago’s famous Bean sculpture, and moving it would reveal a hidden door to rescue him.The sculpture’s real name is Cloud Gate, created by British artist Anish Kapoor.It weighs approximately 110 tons, stands 33 feet tall, and stretches 66 feet long.Around 250 people reportedly joined the unusual mission, scheduled for 12:47 PM.The result?The people showed up.The cameras rolled.Everybody pushed.And The Bean movedexactly ZERO inches! The mysterious man inside?Just an internet hoax.But hundreds of strangers came together, shared a laugh, and created one unforgettable Chicago moment.Sometimes the internet really does bring people together!November 8, 2026Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois, USASources and verified reportingCBS Chicago November 9, 2026https://t.co/Eus3ieoNF6UPI November 9, 2026https://t.co/F6JU6o2bO2Artnet November 9, 2026https://t.co/Pk9oauDrxdCity of ChicagoOfficial Cloud Gate Informationhttps://t.co/kUQxt3ZAAlby ☕️Video by :HimelTyinterestingasfuckChicago #TheBean CloudGate #MillenniumPark— Hyun Lee (@HolyMolySakura) November 9, 2026The conspiracy theory alleged that British-Indian artist Anish Kapoor trapped a man inside the hollow structure of Cloud Gate, where he has supposedly been living in isolation behind its reflective surface. According to the hoax, hidden ventilation systems provide the man with food and air.The ‘Man in the Bean’ rumour gained widespread attention in July 2025, when a group of protesters dressed in black gathered outside the sculpture on the opening day of the Lollapalooza music festival. They demanded that authorities rescue the person ‘trapped’ inside. The group also claimed that maintenance work around the plaza was being used to secretly deliver supplies to him.Chicagoans are planning to gather today and attempt to move The Bean approximately 7 inches to the left.The event organizers believe there’s a man in The Bean and that they need to find the hidden door so they can “give the man inside the bean resources”. https://t.co/YgWy5HbAsr— Pubity (@pubity) November 8, 2026Also Read | 100 miles in -35°C: Canada’s ultrarunner Stephanie Case becomes first woman to complete nonstop Antarctic raceThe unusual allegations prompted concerned calls to local officials. Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly dismissed the claims with a joke, suggesting that the man had actually been freed years earlier. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also responded to the bizarre protest movement.The conspiracy theory has since inspired a mockumentary titled Man in the Bean, released on YouTube earlier this year.Cloud Gate, located at AT&T Plaza in Chicago’s Millennium Park, is one of Kapoor’s most recognisable public artworks. Inspired by liquid mercury, the elliptical sculpture measures 33 feet high, 66 feet long and 42 feet wide. It is made from 168 seamlessly welded and highly polished stainless steel plates.