Quebec conspiracy theorists prey on fears and frustrations: study – Montreal Gazette

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Researchers say the pandemic has given conspiracy theorists an opportunity to "make alliances in order to advance their political agendas.

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Some of Quebecs most popular conspiracy theorists have preyed on peoples fears and frustrations during the COVID-19 pandemic to drive their own political agendas, a new study says.

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At the same time, it warns, leaders from different areas where conspiracies are known to take hold including far-right groups, and certain religious and spiritual communities have found common ground during the pandemic and are now more intertwined than before.

Many of these groups are politically on the far right and also influenced by religious beliefs, Martin Geoffroy, the director of the program behind the study, said on Monday.

Whats changed is that, before the pandemic, most of them were in their own little spheres. But the pandemic has offered them an opportunity to make alliances in order to advance their political agendas.

The study was published Monday by the Centre for Expertise and Training on Religious Fundamentalism and Radicalization (CEFIR), which operates out of CEGEP douard-Montpetit in Longueuil. Researchers examined nearly 500 videos published online by some of Quebecs most popular so-called complotistes between November 2020 and January 2021.

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Overall, the study suggests those pushing conspiracy theories and misinformation in the province can be divided into two ideological matrices: the far-right and religious or spiritual movements.

Those that fall under the far-right category, it says, include people belonging to nationalist and identitarian groups, as well as the sovereign citizens and survivalism movements. On the religious and spiritual side, the study also identified three main components: the New Age movement, Catholic integralism, and Protestant fundamentalism.

Many of the influencers mentioned in the study were already spreading conspiracy theories and anti-government sentiment before the pandemic. But with people spending more time online and frustrations growing, theyve seen their popularity and influence increase over the last two years.

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For Geoffroy, this was to be expected.

All groups that draw on populism on the far right capitalize on fear, and the pandemic has been a great opportunity structure to create fear, he said.

Times are tough, many people have lost their jobs, then they come with the magical solution to all your problems. Theyll say, The pandemic isnt over? Well end it by overthrowing the government, he added. It wont happen, but they draw on that to further push their agenda.

Geoffroy pointed to this weekends convoy protest in Ottawa as an example.

Though the convoy was promoted as a protest against vaccine mandates for truckers, it has since morphed into a call for all public health measures to be lifted. People with far-right connections and links to white supremacist groups, including several the study focused on, have also participated. Over the weekend, at least one truck flew a Confederate flag and Nazi symbols and slogans were seen in the crowd.

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It was very hard this weekend to know who was representing this movement, Geoffroy said. But basically all of these types of groups were there.

Among the people whose online activity researchers studied was Mario Roy , a former member of right-wing groups Storm Alliance and La Meute whos called on members of the National Assembly to be arrested for high treason over pandemic measures. As well as Franois Amalega Bitondo , an anti-mask protester whos under court order to stay away from Premier Franois Legault.

Also mentioned in the study is Alexis Cossette-Trudel , another key conspiracy theorist in Quebec. Cossette-Trudel, who has a significant online following, has argued the pandemic is a part of a plot by the deep state to undermine former United States president Donald Trump a plan he believes Legault is part of.

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As for the religious side, the study details how a Montreal pastor, who has openly defied health measures, began collaborating with a well-known far-right activist during the pandemic. The report says the pastor has frequently equated health measures with Satanism promoted by atheistic communists seeking to take control of the planet.

The study also looked into the influence of certain Quebecers who identify with the New Age movement, a network of people who generally subscribe to a variety of beliefs about spirituality and natural health. During the pandemic, however, the report says their discourse has become more conspiratorial, often blaming modern medicine for COVID-19 and spreading debunked theories about the dangers of the vaccine.

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The illustrate the point, the study quotes one influencer with thousands of followers across her different online platforms.

You have to look at it as a gift when you have an illness. Even if you have a little acute illness like a cold, or like COVID right, the imaginary COVID, she said in November 2020. Its a cleansing illness. An acute illness with what I call cleansing symptoms.

Geoffroy said it can be hard to tell, sometimes, which of these people actually believe what theyre saying and which ones are only doing it for their personal gain. And, he added, he understands how some would like to label conspiracy theorists as unhinged people who are simply spreading nonsense.

But thats exactly what the study warns against doing, he said.

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Some of them might be, but most of them are only using conspiracy theories to advance their political agenda, which is a far-right agenda, he said. And people dont always realize that.

jfeith@postmedia.com

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Quebec conspiracy theorists prey on fears and frustrations: study - Montreal Gazette