American right-wing news outlets are fueling coronavirus conspiracy theories in Europe: report
A growing wave of protests has shocked Germany, with many of the demonstrators spouting conspiracy theories John MACDOUGALL AFP/File
August 18, 2020
Europe, like the U.S., has it's own coronavirus "truther" movement. Protesters taking to the streets to condemn the wearing of masks, the dissemination of conspiracy theories -- Europe has its share of people who think it's all a hoax.
One place where coronavirus is currently exploding again is Spain. According to HuffPost Spain, a Telegram group with more than 50,000 members has become a hot spot for coronavirus conspiracy theories.
“The pandemic is over. There are and never have been any viruses, people have gotten sick from the flu vaccine that contained a toxic blood clotting agent,” one message claims. “Quarantines, masks, gloves and alcohol wipes are illegal. All this is the plan of Bill Gates, bankers, laboratories and politicians for the reduction of the world population. The mask is unnecessary and goes against human rights.”
According to HuffPost, most of the content shared in the Telegram group comes from Breitbart News, "the conservative website that has long served as a central clearinghouse for the alt-right’s ideology."
"And many of the group’s actions and protest signs take inspiration from right-wing anti-lockdown protests in the United States. Photos of protests in America are shared frequently in the Spanish Telegram group," writes HuffPost's Sasha Belenky. "A common theme of the Telegram messages is “don’t be fooled.” Yet it is the protesters who are truly fooling themselves by spreading falsehoods about the pandemic and efforts to address it."
Read the full article over at HuffPost.
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