Pizzagate conspiracy theory: Difference between revisions

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'''Pizzagate''' is a debunked<ref name=hannahalam /><ref name=douglaswashburn /><ref name=danielruth /> [[conspiracy theory]] which alleges that [[John Podesta]]'s [[Podesta emails|emails]], which were leaked by [[WikiLeaks]], contain coded messages referring to [[human trafficking]], and tie a number of pizzerias in [[Washington D.C]] and members of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] to a child-sex ring. The theory has been discredited by the [[Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia|District of Columbia Police Department]], which characterized it as a "fictitious conspiracy theory",<ref name=hannahalam /><ref name="Metro">{{cite news|last1=Department|first1=Metropolitan Police|title=Arrest Made in an Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun): 5000 Block of Connecticut Avenue, Northwest {{!}} mpdc|url=http://mpdc.dc.gov/release/arrest-made-assault-dangerous-weapon-gun-5000-block-connecticut-avenue-northwest|accessdate=December 9, 2016|work=mpdc.dc.gov|date=December 5, 2016}}</ref> and determined to be fake by multiple organizations including [[Snopes.com]],<ref name="snopes" /> ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref name="NYT"/> and [[Fox News]].<ref name="Fox">{{cite news|title=Man with rifle arrested at DC restaurant targeted by fake news conspiracy theories|url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/05/man-with-rifle-arrested-at-dc-restaurant-targeted-by-fake-news-conspiracy-theories.html|accessdate=December 9, 2016|work=Fox News|date=December 5, 2016}}</ref>
'''Pizzagate''' is a debunked<ref name=hannahalam /><ref name=douglaswashburn /><ref name=danielruth /> [[conspiracy theory]] which alleges that [[John Podesta]]'s [[Podesta emails|emails]], which were leaked by [[WikiLeaks]], contain coded messages referring to [[human trafficking]], and tie a number of pizzerias in [[Washington D.C]] and members of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] to a child-sex ring. The theory has been described as a "fictitious conspiracy theory" by the [[Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia|District of Columbia Police Department]]<ref name=hannahalam /><ref name="Metro">{{cite news|last1=Department|first1=Metropolitan Police|title=Arrest Made in an Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun): 5000 Block of Connecticut Avenue, Northwest {{!}} mpdc|url=http://mpdc.dc.gov/release/arrest-made-assault-dangerous-weapon-gun-5000-block-connecticut-avenue-northwest|accessdate=December 9, 2016|work=mpdc.dc.gov|date=December 5, 2016}}, </ref> and determined to be fake by multiple organizations including [[Snopes.com]],<ref name="snopes" /> ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref name="NYT"/> and [[Fox News]].<ref name="Fox">{{cite news|title=Man with rifle arrested at DC restaurant targeted by fake news conspiracy theories|url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/05/man-with-rifle-arrested-at-dc-restaurant-targeted-by-fake-news-conspiracy-theories.html|accessdate=December 9, 2016|work=Fox News|date=December 5, 2016}}</ref>


==Origins==
==Origins==

Revision as of 15:51, 9 December 2016

Pizzagate is a debunked[1][2][3] conspiracy theory which alleges that John Podesta's emails, which were leaked by WikiLeaks, contain coded messages referring to human trafficking, and tie a number of pizzerias in Washington D.C and members of the Democratic Party to a child-sex ring. The theory has been described as a "fictitious conspiracy theory" by the District of Columbia Police Department[1][4] and determined to be fake by multiple organizations including Snopes.com,[5] The New York Times,[6] and Fox News.[7]

Origins

Reports of this conspiracy theory emerged during the 2016 United States presidential election cycle. The theory was started by Internet users reading John Podesta's emails released by Wikileaks in early November 2016.[8] Users speculated that some words in Podesta's emails, such as “pizza” and “cheese” were code words for human trafficking.[9] The theory also proposed that the ring was a meeting ground for satanic ritual abuse.[10] The theory was then posted on the message board, Godlike Productions, and the following day, Sean Adl-Tabatabai (a former associate of professional conspiracy theorist David Icke), repeated the story on YourNewsWire, citing a 4chan post from earlier that year.[11] Adl-Tabatabai's story was then spread by and elaborated on by other fake news websites, including SubjectPolitics, which claimed the New York Police Department had raided Hillary Clinton's property.[12] The website Conservative Daily Post ran a headline stating that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had "confirmed" this story, a claim which PolitiFact rated as "Pants on Fire" for lack of evidence.[13]

Spread on social media

Around this time, Twitter and 4chan users started searching the leaked emails of John Podesta for food-related "code words" that supposedly revealed the existence of a sex trafficking operation.[12] For example, the word "pizza" was thought to be a code word for pedophilia.[11] The allegations spread to "the mainstream internet" following a post on the website Reddit several days before the United States presidential election, 2016.[14] The post, since removed by the site, alleged of Washington, D.C. business Comet Ping Pong:

Everyone associated with the business is making semi-overt, semi-tongue-in-cheek, and semi-sarcastic inferences towards sex with minors. The artists that work for and with the business also generate nothing but cultish imagery of disembodiment, blood, beheadings, sex, and of course pizza.[5]

The story was picked up by websites such as Infowars.com and the Vigilant Citizen,[15] and has been promoted by alt-right activists such as Mike Cernovich and Brittany Pettibone.[14]

Redditors from /r/The_Donald created the /r/Pizzagate subreddit to further develop the conspiracy theory.[6] This subreddit was banned on November 23, 2016 for violating Reddit's policy against doxing, as users had posted personal details of people connected to the alleged conspiracy.[16]

A message displayed to users who attempted to access the subreddit read:

This subreddit was banned due to violation of our content policy. Specifically, the proliferation of personal and confidential information. We don't want witchhunts on our site.[14]

After the ban on Reddit, the discussion was moved to the v/pizzagate sub on Voat, a website similar to Reddit, where discussion continues.[17]

Harassment and violence

As the "Pizzagate" hoax spread, Comet Ping Pong "received hundreds of threatening messages and phone calls from people who believed the story to be true."[18] The restaurant's owner, James Alefantis, told The New York Times: "From this insane, fabricated conspiracy theory, we've come under constant assault. I've done nothing for days but try to clean this up and protect my staff and friends from being terrorized."[6]

Some adherents identified the Instagram account of Alefantis, and used some of the posted photos to "prove" their conspiracy. Many of the images shown were friends and family who had liked Comet Ping Pong's page on Facebook. In some cases, imagery was taken from random unrelated websites and claimed to be Alefantis' own.[5] The restaurant's owners and staff were harassed, threatened on social media websites, and the owner received death threats.[6] The restaurant's Yelp page was locked by the operators of the site citing reviews that were "motivated more by the news coverage itself than the reviewer’s personal consumer experience".[5]

Exterior of Politics and Prose

"Pizzagate"-related harassment of businesses extended beyond Comet Ping Pong to include other nearby D.C. businesses, such as Besta Pizza three doors down from Comet; Little Red Fox; the popular bookstore Politics and Prose; and the French bistro Terasol.[19][20] The businesses received a high volume of threatening and menacing telephone calls (some of which included death threats) and also experienced online harassment.[20] The co-owners of Little Red Fox and Terasol filed police reports.[20]

Brooklyn restaurant Roberta's was also pulled into the hoax, receiving harassing phone calls, including a call from an unidentified person telling an employee that she was "going to bleed and be tortured."[21][22] The restaurant became involved after a since removed YouTube video used images from their social media accounts to implicate they were a part of the hoax sex ring. Others then spread the accusations on social media, claiming the "Clinton family loves Roberta’s".[23]

East Side Pies, in Austin, Texas saw one of its delivery trucks vandalized with an epithet, and was the target of online harassment related to their supposed involvement in Pizzagate, theorized connections to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the Illuminati.[24][25]

Comet Ping Pong shooting

Exterior of Comet Ping Pong

On December 4, 2016, a 28-year-old Salisbury, North Carolina man fired three shots in the restaurant with an AR-15-style rifle, striking walls, a desk, and a door.[2][26] The suspect later told police that he had planned to "self-investigate" the conspiracy theory.[4] The man surrendered after he "found no evidence that underage children were being harbored in the restaurant", was arrested without incident and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon.[27] No injuries were reported.[28]

The suspect told police he had "read online that the Comet restaurant was harboring child sex slaves and that he wanted to see for himself if they were there".[21] In an interview with The New York Times, the suspect said that he regretted how he handled the situation but did not dismiss the conspiracy theory, and rejected the description of it as "fake news".[29][30]

Debunking

The conspiracy theory was debunked by the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, fact-checking website snopes.com and The New York Times, among others.[28][31][32] The police characterized the matter as a "fictitious conspiracy theory".[1]

Much of the purported evidence cited by the conspiracy theory's proponents had been taken from entirely different sources and made to appear as if they supported the conspiracy.[5] Images of children of family and friends of the pizzeria's staff were taken from social media sites such as Instagram and claimed to be photos of victims.[31] The Charlotte Observer noted the diverse group of sources that had debunked the conspiracy theory, pointing out this included the Fox News Channel in addition to The New York Times.[2]

Responses

In an interview with NPR on November 27, 2016, Comet Ping Pong owner James Alefantis referred to the conspiracy theory as "an insanely complicated, made-up, fictional lie-based story" and a "coordinated political attack".[33] The Seattle Times wrote that the conspiracy theorists' assertions were "dangerous and damaging false allegations" and that they were "repeatedly debunked, disproved and dismissed."[3] Despite the conspiracy theory being debunked, it continued to spread on social media, with over one million messages using hashtag #Pizzagate on Twitter in November 2016.[2]

On December 8, 2016, Hillary Clinton responded to the conspiracy theory, speaking about the dangers of fake news websites. She said "The epidemic of malicious fake news and fake propaganda that flooded social media over the past year, it's now clear that so-called fake news can have real-world consequences".[34]

Flynn dismissal

After the shooting incident at Comet Ping Pong, Michael G. Flynn (son of Michael T. Flynn, President-Elect Donald Trump's designate for National Security Advisor) tweeted:

Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it'll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many 'coincidences' tied to it.[35][36][37]

On December 6, 2016 Michael G. Flynn was forced out of Trump's transition team.[38] Spokesman Jason Miller did not identify the reason for Flynn's dismissal; however, The New York Times reported that other officials had confirmed it was related to the tweet.[39]

Turkish press reports

In Turkey, the allegations were reported by mainstream newspapers and media organizations supportive of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, such as Sabah, A Haber, Yeni Şafak, Akşam and Star. The story appeared on Turkey's Ekşi Sözlük (which shares similarities to Reddit) and on the viral news network HaberSelf, where anyone can post content. These forums reposted images and allegations directly from the since-deleted subreddit, which were reprinted in full on the state-controlled press. These media accounts accuse the West of being hypocritical in criticizing Erdoğan or discussing child sexual abuse in the Ensar Foundation (which has links with the Turkish government), while alleged child sex abuse occurs within the United States. Thus, The Daily Dot concluded that this was likely an attempt to draw attention away from child sexual abuse problems within Turkey.[40] Additionally, the AKP (Erdoğan's party) also recently proposed a draft bill that would have given amnesty to child abusers if they married their victims, and BBC News Online says that Pizzagate provided a "distraction" from the negative coverage the Turkish government was receiving over this.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Alam, Hannah (December 5, 2016). "Conspiracy peddlers continue pushing debunked 'pizzagate' tale". Miami Herald. Retrieved December 7, 2016. One might think that police calling the motive a 'fictitious conspiracy theory' would put an end to the claim that inspired a gunman from North Carolina to attack a family pizzeria in Washington over the weekend
  2. ^ a b c d Douglas, William; Washburn, Mark (December 6, 2016). "Religious zeal drives N.C. man in 'Pizzagate'". The Courier-Tribune. The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 7, 2016. Though debunked by sources as diverse as The New York Times, Fox News Channel and the web hoax investigator Snopes, more than a million messages have traversed Twitter since November about #Pizzagate.
  3. ^ a b Ruth, Daniel (December 6, 2016). "The lunacy of fake news". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 7, 2016. the dangerous and damaging fake allegations against a businessman and his employees simply trying to make a living have been repeatedly debunked, disproved and dismissed.
  4. ^ a b Department, Metropolitan Police (December 5, 2016). "Arrest Made in an Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Gun): 5000 Block of Connecticut Avenue, Northwest | mpdc". mpdc.dc.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2016.,
  5. ^ a b c d e LaCapria, Kim (December 2, 2016). "A detailed conspiracy theory known as "Pizzagate" holds that a pedophile ring is operating out of a Clinton-linked pizzeria called Comet Ping Pong". Snopes. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d Kang, Cecilia (November 21, 2016). "Fake News Onslaught Targets Pizzeria as Nest of Child-Trafficking". The New York Times.
  7. ^ "Man with rifle arrested at DC restaurant targeted by fake news conspiracy theories". Fox News. December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  8. ^ BBC Tredning (December 2, 2016). "The saga of 'Pizzagate': The fake story that shows how conspiracy theories spread". BBC. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  9. ^ Samuelson, Kate (December 5, 2016). "What to Know About Pizzagate, the Fake News Story With Real Consequences". Time. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  10. ^ Hayes, Laura (November 15, 2016). "The Consequences of 'Pizza Gate' are Real at Comet Ping Pong". Washington City Paper. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Gillin, Joshua (December 6, 2016). "How Pizzagate went from fake news to a real problem". PolitiFact. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  12. ^ a b Silverman, Craig (November 4, 2016). "How A Completely False Claim About Hillary Clinton Went From A Conspiracy Message Board To Big Right Wing Blogs". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  13. ^ Emery Jr., C. Eugene (November 4, 2016). "Evidence ridiculously thin for sensational claim of huge underground Clinton sex network". PolitiFact. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d Wendling, Mike (December 2, 2016). "The saga of 'Pizzagate': The fake story that shows how conspiracy theories spread". BBC News. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  15. ^ Peck, Jamie (November 28, 2016). "What the hell is #Pizzagate?". Death and Taxes. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  16. ^ Ohlheiser, Abby (November 24, 2016). "Fearing yet another witch hunt, Reddit bans 'Pizzagate'". Washington Post. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  17. ^ {Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/nyregion/robertas-restaurant-brooklyn-threatened-fake-news-pizzagate-conspiracy.html%7Ctitle=Roberta’s, Popular Brooklyn Restaurant, Is Pulled Into ‘Pizzagate’ Hoax|last= Rosenberg|first=Eli|date=December 7, 2016|work=|newspaper=New York Times|access-date=December 9, 2016|via=}}
  18. ^ Reilly, Katie (November 22, 2016). "Washington Pizza Place Flooded With Threats Over False Hillary Clinton Conspiracy".
  19. ^ Gauthier, Brendan (December 7, 2016). "Pizzagate harassment spreads beyond Comet Ping Pong to nearby D.C. restaurants". Salon. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  20. ^ a b c Kludt, Tom (December 5, 2016). "'Pizzagate': Comet Ping Pong not the only D.C. business enduring a nightmare". CNNMoney. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Rosenberg, Eli (December 7, 2016). "Roberta's, Popular Brooklyn Restaurant, Is Pulled Into 'Pizzagate' Hoax". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  22. ^ Rayman, Graham (December 7, 2016). "Brooklyn pizza joint Roberta's hit with threatening calls in response to faux report of Hillary Clinton child abuse ring". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  23. ^ Gajanan, Mahita (December 7, 2016). "Now Pizzagate Conspiracy Theorists Are Targeting a Pizzeria in New York City". TIME. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  24. ^ Mathis-Lilley, Ben (December 7, 2016). "Pizzerias in Austin and New York Are Now Also Being Accused of Abetting Satanic Pedophilia". Slate. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  25. ^ Odam, Matthew (December 7, 2016). "How Austin's East Side Pies became target of fake #pizzagate". Austin American Statesman. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  26. ^ Eordogh, Fruzsina (December 7, 2016). "With Pizzagate, Is Cybersteria The New Normal?". Forbes. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  27. ^ "The Latest: Pizzagate Shooting Suspect Ordered Held by Judge". ABC News. December 5, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  28. ^ a b Svrluga, Susan; Siddiqui, Faiz (December 4, 2016). "N.C. man told police he went to D.C. pizzeria with assault rifle to 'self-investigate' election-related conspiracy theory".
  29. ^ Abrams, Abigail (December 8, 2016). "Pizzagate Gunman: 'I Regret How I Handled' Comet Ping Pong Shooting". TIME.com. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  30. ^ "Pizzagate gunman refuses to dismiss online conspiracy theory claims about child sex ring". Fox News. December 8, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  31. ^ a b LaCapria, Kim (November 21, 2016). "FALSE: Comet Ping Pong Pizzeria Home to Child Abuse Ring Led by Hillary Clinton". snopes. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  32. ^ Carlson, Margaret (November 23, 2016). "A Fake Conspiracy for Our Fevered Age". Bloomberg View. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  33. ^ Wertheimer, Linda (November 27, 2016). "Fake News Surge Pins D.C. Pizzeria As Home To Child-Trafficking". NPR.org. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  34. ^ Taylor, Jessica (December 8, 2016). "'Lives Are At Risk,' Hillary Clinton Warns Over Fake News, 'Pizzagate'". NPR.org. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  35. ^ Bender, Bryan; Hanna, Andrew (December 5, 2016). "Flynn under fire for fake news". POLITICO. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  36. ^ Smith, Allan (December 5, 2016). "Michael Flynn's son spars with Jake Tapper over fake 'pizzagate' story that led armed man to go to restaurant". Business Insider. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  37. ^ Rosenberg, Matthew (December 5, 2016). "Trump Adviser Has Pushed Clinton Conspiracy Theories". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  38. ^ Faulders, Katherine (December 6, 2016). "Mike Flynn Jr. Forced Out of Trump Transition Amid Fake News Controversy". ABC News. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  39. ^ Rosenberg, Matthew (December 6, 2016). "Trump Fires Senior Adviser's Son From Transition for Sharing Fake News". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
  40. ^ Sozeri, Efe Karem (November 23, 2016). "How the alt-right's PizzaGate conspiracy hid real scandal in Turkey". The Daily Dot. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
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