Author: Šonková, Markéta1
Published in National Security Journal, 14 April 2024
Download full PDF version – Christchurch False Flag Conspiracy Theory in the Czech Context: The Aeronet Case Study (412 KB)
Abstract
The terrorist attack in Christchurch of March 2019 marked a watershed moment in history, among others, since it was the first attack of this kind that was livestreamed on the Internet by the perpetrator himself. Since then, the footage has been reappearing online across the globe, and so have various conspiracy theories related to the attack, clearly showing the cross-boundary and cross-cultural nature of the phenomenon. The objective of this article is to examine a set of texts published on a Czech conspiracy site Aeronet and to look at how their author uses broader conspiracy contexts to explain an alleged ‘false flag’ operation in Christchurch. The overall aim of this article is to provide an in-depth analysis of texts published in the Czech language and contribute to the mosaic of research conducted in relation to this attack.
Keywords: Terrorism, Christchurch, Conspiracy, False Flag, Aeronet, Czech
Republic
Introduction
For a long time, conspiracy theories have been a source of fascination for some, with the digital revolution, overall globalisation, and the post-truth age significantly facilitating the circulation of conspiracy theories to achieve a worldwide audience. Despite the general feasibility to verify information thanks to the possibilities (not only) the Internet has provided, conspiracies have not disappeared. In fact, the Internet has eased and accelerated the processes, and has allowed for the establishment of like-minded communities, where echo chambers and conspiracy biases flourish. Moreover, with this happening globally and often online, various scenes can now more easily feed into each other, potentially leading to real world implications in the long-term. As such, conspiracy theories continue to be not only an anti-establishment and anti-mainstream phenomenon but can also help polarise – and potentially mobilise – societies, allowing them to become weaponised when politicised.
The white extremist terrorist attack on the two mosques in Christchurch of March 2019 was a watershed moment. It was not the first time that a large-scale terrorist attack was conducted by a right-wing extremist, as Anders Breivik committed a series of attacks in Norway in 2011. However, the attack by the perpetrator in Christchurch, who had been inspired by Breivik, was the first attack of its kind as it was streamed live on the Internet by the perpetrator. Since then, the footage – despite efforts of tech platforms and governments – keeps reappearing online, and so do various conspiracy theories related to the attack, clearly showing the cross-boundary and cross-cultural nature of the phenomenon. Moreover, the (live)streaming of terrorist attacks with gamification elements1, has been more frequent since as well.2
The objective of the article is to examine a set of texts published on Czech conspiracy site Aeronet – a site notorious for complex and at times influential conspiratory texts. The intention is to look at how the author(s) of these texts uses broader conspiracy contexts to explain an alleged ‘false flag’3 operation in Christchurch. The overall aim is to provide, by the means of a single case study, an in-depth analysis of texts published in Czech, and contribute to the mosaic of research conducted in relation to this specific attack. In order also to function as a standalone text, without presuming detailed knowledge of the attack and conspiracies at large, the article first introduces conspiracy theories in political and legal context, provides a background to the attack, and includes the necessary Czech contexts.
Due to the limitations in its scope, this article focuses primarily on the specific case analysis and sets it in the Czech context, rather than on an all-encompassing effect of conspiracies on their consumers or those exposed to them and possible risks that may follow, or a larger analysis of conspiracies around mass shootings in general. Similarly, the legislative context and efforts of governments to fight disinformation, propaganda, and conspiracies cannot be included at length here. The context used is mostly Czech and by extension also European.
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1 Markéta Šonková is an independent researcher from the Czech Republic, focusing on the areas of terrorism and extremism. She holds MA degrees in International Relations and English Language and Literature from Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. Contact: sonkova.marketa@gmail.com.