Memetic Warfare, Q Anon, Trolls, and More: A Walk Through Protest Signs in Ottawa’s Occupation
I spent an afternoon photographing signage in and around parliament during the occupation of Ottawa for the Online Hate Research and Education Project (OHREP) at the Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre.
At OHREP, we’re currently endeavoring in the largest study of hate speech in internet memes that Canada has ever seen, and we’re using the data to assemble a reference database of hate symbols, slogans, and recurring themes in Canadian hate speech. As was the case with anti-mask, anti-lockdown, and other anti-vaccine demonstrations Canada’s Covid conspiracy movement has put on since the Summer of 2020, social media messaging clearly came to life in protest signage during Ottawa’s occupation. So, the OHREP team thought it was worth taking a closer look at some signage.
Since we don’t have a newsletter or blog platform yet that’s publicly accessible, I’m writing about it here for now.
Alex Jones Was Right
Alex Jones and Infowars are occasionally endorsed in signage at anti-vaccine protests in Canada. Jones has hosted several Canadians in the movement, including convoy organizer Pat King, convoy speaker Chris Sky, and Diagolon leader Jeremy Mackenzie.
ASMIN Parking Permit
Anishinabek Solutrean Métis Indigenous Nation (ASMIN) is a pseudolaw group that alleges claim to Toronto. Darryl Leroux, author of Distorted Descent: White Claims to Indigenous Identity and expert on pretendian Indigenous groups, described the organization as “a group of ultra-conservative white folks falsely claiming to be ‘Indigenous.’ [sic]”. ASMIN’s own definition of Indigenous sometimes includes anyone living in Canada.
Anyways, this is a thick pamphlet claiming they gave the convoy permission to park. It was rolled into the fence between Parliament Hill and Wellington street.
Children’s Thank You Cards
Anecdotally, I can say these are common at anti-vaccine rallies and protesters are often really fond of them. The one on the left says “No mask at school”.
Culpeper Minutemen Flag
This one was new to me. The Culpeper Minutemen was a Virginian militia that was formed in 1775 to fight the American Revolutionary War. They also fought in the confederacy in the American Civil War. A current organization calling itself a “lineage society.”
The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter of the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution, allows membership to those who might have “a patriot ancestor”.
Defaced Anti-Convoy Memes
Top: Poster is written on with a marker, referring to wearing a mask as “bodily autonomy”. Bottom: Poster appears to have had an egg thrown at it.
Fidel Castro as Justin Trudeau’s Father
A conspiracy theory that Fidel Castro is the illegitimate father of Justin Trudeau existed before the Covid-19 pandemic. At this point, it’s no longer being pitched as a possibility but rather accepted as a commonly held belief in the political far-right. Even Tucker Carlson has implied the theory is reality. The theory sometimes goes hand-in-hand with allegations of secret communism and with casual racism (eg. a poster above refers to “Cuban” and “Canadian” as races, implying that caucasian and “Canadian” are synonymous).
Free Joe Rogan
Last I checked he’s free. So, mission accomplished I guess?
Homophobic Jokes About Justin Trudeau
Not an uncommon trope.
Honk
Honk.
Honk If You’re a Real Man
Honking is now reserved as a male-only activity. You have been warned.
Idris Elba
After Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau caught Covid-19 following a meeting with Hollywood star Idris Elba, accusations that the two were having an affair popped up alongside other tropes mocking Justin Trudeau.
Elba is married and Gregoire-Trudeau is friends with many other celebrities like Emma Watson.
“IN 2009, AT A TURKISH BATHHOUSE JUSTIN TRUDEAU OFFERED TO EAT MY ASS FOR A BAG OF COFFEE WHERE’S MY COFFEE JUSTIN?”
Specific enough that I thought it didn’t fit under “Trolling Signs”, a later section.
Ivermectin
Study after study shows that Ivermectin is safe and effective — against parasites (not against Covid-19).
Norm Chomsky
Not to be confused with Noam.
Nuremburg 2.0
Nuremberg “2.0” is a common theme in Covid conspiracism. It embodies a fantasy in which proponents will get to see their political enemies — those who they believe are perpetrating a sinister plot — will be publicly tried for crimes and executed. The theme is common in Q Anon spaces as an ultimate goal for Trump’s political enemies.
Red Pill
The “red pill” is a theme taken from The Matrix films. It represents an individual’s conscious decision to see the reality of the world around them. During the rise of the alt-right, The Red Pill movement, a product of the internet manosphere, gained popularity on websites like Reddit.
Now, the term is commonly used as a euphemism for becoming Conservative or becoming aware of a large conspiracy.
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
“Ree(etc.)” is a representation of frustration that’s meant to mock whoever is frustrated. It’s born of 4Chan culture and it’s also a self-inflicted cliche used by the early alt-right, who wore the baggage of the image of extremely online men who mocked each other for their perceived inability to communicate in in-person interactions. It’s still sometimes used in its original context: to mock whoever disagrees with you so long as they are expressing it in an emotional manner. As a convoy sign, it’s a clear example of memetic warfare seeping into physical activism.
Segregation
Appropriation of segregation, often as a reference to racial segregation laws in the United States, is a common theme invoked in the Covid conspiracy movement.
The Honking Hurts Our Ears
During the first week of occupation especially, nonstop horn honking came from every occupied street. Dogs both brought by convoy members and owned by Ottawa residents living in the area were often distressed.
Trolling Signs
Though they were rare, a few joke signs managed to slip in.
WWG1WGA (Q Anon) and a Transphobic Joke
“WWG1WGA” stands for “Where We Go One, We Go All”, and it’s the most common catch-phrase to express belief in Q Anon, a conspiracy theory umbrella. Q Anon is formed around the belief that powerful politicians and celebrities are Satanist cannibals who drink the blood of children to stall the process of aging and prolong their own lives. Q Anon followers also believe that Donald Trump is waging a secret war to expose these Satanist cannibal child murderers.
“I identify as [inanimate object]” is a commonly repeated joke used to mock people who identify as a gender that they were not assigned at birth.
For more information on OHREP, contact project manager Daniel Panneton at dpanneton@ujafed.org. The OHREP team is also active on Twitter at @DPPanneton, @quintal_etienne, and @Spinelessl.