In the past several months, we have seen a significant increase of reporting on the QAnon phenomenon or movement. Among those who participated in yesterday’s riot at the U.S. Capitol were supporters of the QAnon movement. The term “QAnon supporters” generally describes individuals who believe in a wide-range of conspiracy theories, including that a secret organization of Satanic-based, pedophiliac individuals control the government and are plotting against President Trump (see The New York Times, The Atlantic , and AlJazeera). Even before yesterday’s atrocities, this movement had become more mainstream than other similar movements.
Another anti-government collective is the sovereign citizen movement. Sovereign citizens generally believe that the government is illegitimate, and, by following a process that varies by adherent, a person can become a “freeman”. Over the past two decades, several incidents involving sovereign citizens have become violent. It is good to note that the sovereign movement, as a whole, is not a violent movement. It is just that some adherents may act aggressively when confronted by law enforcement or public officials regarding their viewpoints.
The FBI has begun investigating those involved in yesterday’s insurrection at the Capitol. Several QAnon followers have already been identified as having been part of the movement. Given the potential for sovereign citizens to want smaller government (e.g., more Republican-leaning), I pondered whether it is possible among the individuals were sovereign citizens. Let’s do a quick examination:
There are reports on individuals who are linked to both movements. In November 2020, Florida law enforcement arrested Neely Petrie-Blanchard for the Kentucky murder of Christopher Hallett. Based on social media, Petrie-Blanchard appeared to be both a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy and the sovereign movement. Additionally in Oregon, the Kinney family created a blockade in attempt to prevent them from being evicted, claiming they were an “Afro-Indigenous family” that owned the land. William Kinney aka William X. Nietzche appeared connected to both the sovereign and QAnon movements.
The movements have similar key elements. As mentioned above, QANon believes in a secret society controlling the US government. Sovereign citizens do not believe the government is legitimate. Both believe in conspiracies about the current government that compel them to not trust the current US government. Both have some supporters who believe it is OK to not follow the government’s rules or laws.
There is already an historic pattern for similar synergies to exist. In the other domestic extremist movements, animal rights extremists (the Animal Liberation Front, etc.) are known to run in the same circles as environmental rights extremists (e.g., Earth Liberation Front). Even in Islamic terrorism movements, individuals involved in the Taliban would often have associations with the Haqqani and Al-Qaida movements. The same is likely with members of Al-Qaida in Iraq (QAI) and the Islamic State. If there was a similarity in beliefs, then some of the movements’ followers would join the others. After all: “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.
Without being able to link individuals involved in the QAnon movement with those involved in sovereign citizen movement, it is likely that we will not know if there is harmony between these two ideological groups. It is something to ponder. What do you think?
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