Conspiracy theory-fueled opposition to 5G network technology percolated online for years. Then the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak hit, sparking 5G arson attacks across Europe.
Hanna Linderstål wanted to see how deep the rabbit hole of anti-5G theories would go.
The Stockholm-based researcher had been studying online groups opposed to the new technology for years. Then she watched as the movement reached a tipping point earlier this year amid the coronavirus outbreak — spilling into criminality with a spate of arson attacks against telecom masts. In the space of just a couple of weeks, more than 60 masts have been hit by arson attacks in the U.K.… On the Continent, the Netherlands is the hardest-hit country with 22 arson attacks and three attempted attacks linked to 5G concerns.
The outrage behind these attacks — fear that 5G radiation causes health problems — has been bubbling away on the internet ever since the technology became viable. But it was only this year, when anti-5G groups started spreading rumors that the technology had caused the coronavirus outbreak, that things turned ugly…
The European Commission says on its website that “there is no connection between 5G and COVID-19,” and cites “no evidence that 5G is harmful to people’s health.”
MacDailyNews Take: History tends to repeat; first with radio, then with cellular, then with each new wave 3G, 4G, and, now, 5G. Even without longterm studies, we’ll go out on a limb: 5G doesn’t cause COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 does. Please do not commit arson as we’re going to need those towers for our 5G iPhones later this year, not to mention that it’s a crime that could prove deadly!
Just another symptom of the senseless backlash against science and scientists, which is part of a wider attack on the notion of objective truth.
What I say is strictly my perceptions. The EU is is much more science friendly among the lay people than the US, but that may also be the root of the problem. As semi-informed, they tend to conjure up better, but still false, conspiracy theories.
A lot like the anti-vax crowd both here and there.
well said TxUser
Purposely and so carefully you did not mention the makeup or source of the backlash. I know why, guilt by inference under the cloak of deniability for those that do not know your motives.
“Opposition to 5G started with environmental and other groups raising concerns about health.”
One more quote from the Politico article:
“On the Continent, the Netherlands is the hardest-hit country with 22 arson attacks and three attempted attacks linked to 5G concerns.”
Imagine that, the most liberal country in Europe with legal prostitution and cannabis dens everywhere caused the most DESTRUCTION.
On one hand I hate to say this as a Life member of the NRA, but on the other hand it is probably best the radical liberal citizenry in Europe are denied firearms ownership.
TxUser posted: “senseless backlash against science and scientists” yes, is already off the charts from liberal activists that TU failed to mention. Hopefully, science shines through and the situation improves…
You need a gun GoeB, you need matches, and maybe some gasoline.
I have too many guns now and looking to sell a few. Don’t assume…
You don’t need any of them to burn a tower.
Obtuse response.
Nuff said…
No, its symptom of stupidity.
Be against something, but destroy things with fire as a solution…great thinking.
It’s not the virus you have to worry about it’s the 5G Cancer… /s
We need to accelerate the 5G or else Huawei will surpass USA. In fact Huawei is ahead, Huawei 5G is a threat to our national security, because it owns by the CCP.
It owns by the grammar nazi who say all your base belong to us and yeah we tell you we are king of English speaking because we say so and we knows what we is talking about because we is ownser of yours bases which belong to us
5G is surveillance technology. I haven’t even seen them trying to make a case for how much more wonderful it’s supposed to make our lives, the peasants can just eat whatever the elites shove in their mouths. Whether the particular concerns about 5G are justified or not the backlash is a response to the escalating treatment of law-abiding citizens as criminal cattle that needs to be rounded up and beaten. The virus madness is the latest manifestation of this totalitarian mindset, exemplified by people like Bill Gates, Littke Tony Fauci, Ezekiel Emanuel, Gretchen Witchmer, et al. The Soviet communists must be kicking themselves for not thinking to scare everyone into obedience with the equivalent of a seasonal flu from the start!
Nick, you hit the nail on the head. More to the point, it’s Chinese government spy technology. As long as governments allow the Chinese government’s exceptionally low cost bids to incorporate 5G towers to permeate the world, those countries those countries that utilize them will make any and ALL technology with a modern computer chip within it susceptible to Chinese surveillance, takeover or shutdown of that same tech.
I wish MDN would get a handle on the sponsored, self-starring, idiocy that dominates this board. Pretty soon it’ll just be sponsored idiots badgering each other. What ever pays the bills, I guess.
Hiram is one of the best examples of sponsored, self-starring idiocy on this board. He knows he needs much more than just Hiram to run a Mac properly, he needs MaxRAM for full power.
Clearly, the coronavirus is not the only bat-s##t craziness going around.
Possibly true or not. Produce evidence or keep your opinions to yourself…
You completely ignore facts that don’t support your delusions.
You theoretically can do all those things without 5G.
But more importantly your comments on the pandemic are blatantly offensive.
The US has lost almost 70,000 in 5 to 6 weeks. More than the entire Vietnam war. And we do actually know several dead within one degree of separation. So with all due disrespect, stick it!
Exactly! Well said, even if I say so myself. Which I do.
There have been 5g equipment attacks here in the US as well. I will bet my house not a single attacker was a republican.
Where can we collect the deed? This sort of anti-science position, as exemplified by climate deniers, anti-vaxers and other conspiracy theorists, is found at least as often among Republicans as Democrats. Most of them would claim no political affiliation at all, since they fall so far out on the liberatarian spectrum as to approach anarchism.
You apparently have a severe reading comprehension problem. I did not speak of “climate, anti-vaxers and other conspiracy theorists”
I referenced people who attacked equipment. As in violence. I bet that none of the violence was done by republicans, which also happens to be the exact same number of republicans the were violent was the obamination was elected
Acçording to the ADL, 85% of the extremist violence episodes from 1983-2017 involved right-wing motivators. A study by the US Military Academy agrees that a majority of fatal terror incidents were right-wing motivated, although jihadists killed more per episode on average.
Libturd BULLSHIT and you are too stupid to know it
Right, because West Point is a leftist institution.
Users here who repeatedly use the insult “Libturd” merely demonstrate their own blatant stupidity.
Perhaps your label is “Conservaturd”….?
Narrow-minded people who can’t see further than their own double-digit IQ.
Liberal + shit for brains = Libturd. It’s quite apropos.
PS – Libturd is used when Libtard doesn’t quite express the proper sentiment.
shit for brains Is the only explanation for support of Dementia Joe, Hilderbeast and the obamination
I think Stu was first to bring Conservaturd into greater national consciousness, but he was doing it to mock loony liberal lefties.
When things aren’t going right, the answer is not just to go left. No sir. The answer is to go left three times, and then you’ll be on the right track, literally.
Conservative American Patriots will finish the violence started by the left
Republicans are equally violent as democrats?? Only in a world were Biden is not a molesting dementia patient and Hillary is not a criminal
You left out “Pussy Grabbing”. Must be okay…
I never had a woman complain. 🤠 BTW, it works both ways regarding aggressive affection, no?…
@GoeB
Just pointing that out…
applecynic pointing out he grabs idiocy at the earliest moment, as usual, by default.
“You apparently have a severe reading comprehension problem.”
Boy, you got that right!
He also has a handicapped BIAS only posting one side of the equation favorable to Democrats daily and disparaging Republicans daily.
The smart ones on MDN already detected his political motives less interested in empirical truths and more interested in COVERTLY promoting the Democrat Party…
“This sort of anti-science position, as exemplified by climate deniers, anti-vaxers and other conspiracy theorists, is found at least as often among Republicans as Democrats.”
Total Liberal Democrat 🐂💩! You have zero facts, zero links to PROVE your 50/50 equivalency argument. This is a decades old tired FALSE MEME from Democrats like you and the sycophant media followers.
“Most of them would claim no political affiliation at all, since they fall so far out on the liberatarian spectrum as to approach anarchism.”
A second course of MORE blubbering 🐂💩with ZERO facts and only personal liberal opinion.
How irresponsible of you…😡
I was trying to be generous. What is your evidence that anti-science attitudes are more common among Democrats than among Republicans?
Democrats are, by definition, rats. They started the KKK, they embrace socialism and communism, they are the worst in society. If you are a democrat, you are stupid! You are dumb! Dense! A single celled organism of the lowest order.
Damn it! This 5G and Corona virus discussion is just crap, We’ve only had four dozen hearings over Benghazi. We need a further investigation or all this effort will make the American bitter and angry look like tin foil rubes. Do we really know what happened? I don’t think so. EVERYTHING else is just a diversion. The deep state and seemingly elected Republicans these days are stopping the inquiry; dead earnest minds demand the TRUTH.
Wtf are you smoking?
The deep state is full of deep hate. It ain’t great.
SEGA might be to blame here, unfortunately. Why? Sonic Mania’s intro is a prime example of this.
SEGA now has blood on its hands here and Sonic games need to nowadays be AVOIDED TO BE PLAYED AT ALL! Boycott Sonic Team now! Anti5G