FBI: QAnon Conspiracy Theory a ‘Catalyst’ for Political Violence

[mystery-ak]

FBI: QAnon Conspiracy Theory a ‘Catalyst’ for Political Violence

Charlie Spiering 15 Jun 2021

A new intelligence bulletin drafted by the FBI highlights the risk the QAnon conspiracy theory poses to the United States.

The bulletin, obtained by NBC News, details followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory may commit political violence, after being radicalized by information shared online.

The new strategy is being released just after NBC News obtained a new, unclassified FBI intelligence bulletin highlighting the risk that adherents of the conspiracy theory QAnon may commit political violence.

“The participation of some domestic violent extremists who are also self-identified QAnon adherents in the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol on 6 January underscores how the current environment likely will continue to act as a catalyst for some to begin accepting the legitimacy of violent action,” the bulletin says, according to the report.

The information raises concerns that the United States government may take direct action to combat the narratives spread by QAnon — if it considers the conspiracy theory a direct threat to national security.

The bulletin notes the FBI arrested more than 20 self-identified followers of QAnon who participated in the January 6 Capitol Hill riots to protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/06/15/fbi-qanon-conspiracy-theory-a-catalyst-for-political-violence/

[mountaineer]

"QAnon" Has Been Dormant Since December so Why Is the FBI Issuing a Threat Warning About It Now?
By streiff | Jun 15, 2021 2:00 PM ET

The FBI and Homeland security have issued a new security warning about QAnon. ...

The only notable thing about the report quoted above, other than making the gutsy prediction that someone might do something at some future date, was that agencies that are forbidden by law to carry out surveillance on US citizens contributed to a threat assessment of political groups comprised of US citizens. That shouldn’t surprise me as the Biden bunch is considering deputizing tech companies to keep tabs on the political activities of Americans

    The Biden administration is considering using outside firms to track extremist chatter by Americans online, an effort that would expand the government’s ability to gather intelligence but could draw criticism over surveillance of US citizens.

    The Department of Homeland Security is limited in how it can monitor citizens online without justification and is banned from activities like assuming false identities to gain access to private messaging apps used by extremist groups such as the Proud Boys or Oath Keepers.
    Instead, federal authorities can only browse through unprotected information on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook and other open online platforms. A source familiar with the effort said it is not about decrypting data but rather using outside entities who can legally access these private groups to gather large amounts of information that could help DHS identify key narratives as they emerge.

...  The fact that they are obsessing with “QAnon,” which hasn’t been heard from since December, is a dead giveaway that what they are doing is trying to link crimes to people who passed along a “QAnon” meme or slogan, even ironically, as a way of declaring every one who did so to be a danger to the Republic. ...

Red State

All I know about Q Anon devotees is that my cousin is one, and she's too busy posting on Facebook about chemtrails, "the firmament" and the flat earth to worry about violence.

[Sled Dog]

The fascists would use "outside firms" to spy on Americans, eh?  Calling it what it is.

I'm betting those "outside firms" won't be limited by the Constitution.

Not that the FBI has been feeling any constraints when spying on Americans.

I wonder where the special FBI bulletin is on the status of Aunty Fa and (b)lack Lies Matter when it comes to the risk those Democrat groups pose to the United States?

I wonder how many cities have burned down because of Qanon, compared to Aunty Fa and (b)lack Lies Matter?

How many elections has Qanon stolen?