QAnon Infiltrates the Netherlands
The grave of Nicky Verstappen, an 11-year old Dutch boy who was murdered in 1998. (Wikimedia Commons)
Conspiracy theorists bombarded the graves of young children in the Dutch town of Bodegraven with piles of flowers and offensive letters on February 20. Bodegraven Mayor Christiaan van der Kamp responded to the actions, decrying that they brought “anger, grief, and disbelief” to the children’s families.
Inspired by QAnon, conspiracy theorists targeted the graves of two young children, Nicky Verstappen and Marianne Vaastra, who had been murdered around two decades ago. Since then, law enforcement has secured the cemetery.
Ex-journalist Micha Kat is leading the actions in Bodegraven, claiming that satanic pedophiles murdered Verstappen and Vaastra. He also accused many prominent Dutch public figures, including COVID-19 advisor Jaap van Dissel, of affiliating with these pedophiles. Originating in the United States, the QAnon conspiracy theory has found fertile ground in Europe, with the largest group of identified supporters located in Germany.
The QAnon conspiracy theory alleges that Democratic politicians and Hollywood celebrities run an international pedophilia ring, and it claims that former President Donald Trump is pursuing a “war against the global cabal.” What used to be a fringe group of far-right extremists has turned into a cult following, with a recent poll finding that around 17 percent of Americans identify with QAnon beliefs. Within the United States, the conspiracy group has profoundly affected political events, most notably spearheading the Capitol siege on January 6. QAnon has even found allies in the halls of Congress, where Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene openly supports QAnon, an organization that the FBI considers to be a domestic terrorist threat.
The events in Bodegraven show how far of a reach QAnon has, reaching all the way across the Atlantic. These theories have had consequences beyond the cruel targeting of child graves in the Netherlands—one theory claiming COVID-19 is a hoax has gained momentum in the streets in major Dutch cities.
The Dutch government imposed a strict curfew on January 23 to contain the spread of COVID-19, resulting in protests. Rioters set fire to a COVID-19 testing center in the city of Urk.
According to psychologist Jan-Willem van Prooijen of the Vrije Universiteit, the rise of QAnon and COVID-19 myths stem from the same sentiment: “a great distrust of rulers and their intentions.” As a whole, the Dutch tend to hold a high level of trust in their political institutions. However, the lockdown has increased anti-government sentiment, encouraging a vocal minority of conspiracy theorists, who have harnessed the anti-government sentiment of the COVID-19 pandemic to propel their own movement into the mainstream.