At first glance, it seems impeccable: colored flags bearing the letter “Q” (Q) have appeared in large numbers in demonstrations against measures to contain the “Corona” pandemic in recent weeks, the most recent of which was at the weekend in the German city of Constance, when thousands of people joined To a human chain around Lake Constance and the many anti-Corona policy demonstrations.
“Q” is the first letter of a German movement called “Querdeneken”, which in Arabic means “lateral thinking”. But this is not the only meaning expressed by the letter “Q”, it is also the letter that expresses the author of the story of the comprehensive conspiracy “QAnons” (Q Anon), which began in the United States.
Sectarian expert Matthias Pullman has been watching the protests in Germany from their inception, and has even been present in some of them. Pullman gets the impression that some are keen to establish a link between the (Q-Anon) movement and (Lateral Thinking), as he says: “These flags are distributed in the demonstrations, and many of them do not even know what is behind it.” Pullman, who also serves as a representative of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in the German state of Bavaria, believes that it is necessary to take a look at this development, as the Q-Anon movement revolves around anti-democratic and partly anti-Semitic convictions.
The conspiracy theory associated with the letter “Q” (Q) is relatively new, as it began spreading in 2017 from an online platform that can be published anonymously and almost without restrictions. The order was as follows: (Q) is an alleged employee or a group of individuals working in the government who regularly discloses classified information about criminals from the political, financial and showman circles.
Basically, this conspiracy theory revolves around the existence of a secret clique or bond behind everything that happens in the world. This is what the proponents of this theory call the “deep state”, which seeks to impose a “new world order”, a kind of world government that aims to subjugate humanity.
The followers of “Kyu Anon” see themselves as an elite, as only those who can decipher their codes belong to them, the most famous of which is “WWG1WGA”, which is the teamwork slogan “Where We Go One, We Go All” – which implies (one for all, all from For the one). “This kind of guesswork and decoding is a wonderful attraction for many,” says Pullman. “You find yourself sharing your love for the story of the big conspiracy, and you count yourself among the awakening.”
Mentioning vigilance, Pullman explains that for many, “Keio Anon” represents an alternative role to religion, during which matters are usually thought of in a typical “black and white” perspective, and belief in the annihilation of the earth. “I prefer to refer to Kyu Onon as a conspiracy ideology with sectarian overtones,” says Pullman.
Kyu Onon believes that her savior is US President Donald Trump, who will save the world from a demonic group of pedophiles and cannibals.
The movement frequently spreads myths of alleged liberation operations that have been assigned to the Oval Office (the official office of the US president). On the one hand, Trump doesn’t seem to have a problem getting embraced by the movement. Last August, for example, Trump missed the opportunity to distance himself from supporters of conspiracy theories, saying, “I heard they are people who love our country.”
Kyu Anon’s lies are compatible with the enemies of democracy, right-wing extremists and anti-Semitism. In Germany, the movement was also supported by supporters of the far-right “Reichsbürger” movement, Christian fundamentalists and spirituality. In Polman’s view, the situation must be monitored closely to see if the underlying hatred for these individuals may lead to outbreaks of violence.
Scientific studies support these concerns, as belief in conspiracy narratives is linked to an increased likelihood of advocating violence or even that the individual himself becomes violent. In their recently published book, “False Facts,” Katrina Nucon and Pia Lamberty sum up: “Conspiracy stories can legitimize violence against others while at the same time protecting their supporters from criticism.” This means that colorful flags and vulgar stories should not hide the fact that there are often harmful anti-democratic tendencies behind them.
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