"Pizzagate" redirects here. For the pizza-throwing incident at a 2004 football match, see Battle of the Buffet

Origins

Genesis

Spread on social media

[4] 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.

[17] The sub was banned on November 23, 2016 for violating Reddit's anti-[12] Users had posted personal details of people connected to the alleged conspiracy.[26] After the ban on Reddit, the discussion was moved to the v/pizzagate sub on [27] Members of the Reddit community /r/The_Donald created the /r/pizzagate subreddit to further develop the conspiracy theory.The sub was banned on November 23, 2016 for violating Reddit's anti- doxing policy with Reddit posting a notice that "We don't want witchhunts on our site".Users had posted personal details of people connected to the alleged conspiracy.After the ban on Reddit, the discussion was moved to the v/pizzagate sub on Voat , a website similar to Reddit

[28] Some of Pizzagate's proponents, including David Seaman and Michael Flynn Jr., have evolved the conspiracy into a broader government conspiracy called "Pedogate". According to this theory, a "satanic cabal of elites" of the New World Order operate international child sex trafficking rings.

Turkish press reports

Harassment of owners and employees

[30] The pizzeria, Comet Ping Pong , was threatened by hundreds of people who believed in the Pizzagate conspiracy theory.

[30] The restaurant's owner, 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."[17] As Pizzagate spread, Comet Ping Pong received hundreds of threats from the theory's believers.The restaurant's owner, James Alefantis , told: "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."

[4] The restaurant's owners and staff were harassed, threatened on social media websites, and the owner received death threats.[17] The restaurant's [4] Some adherents identified the Instagram account of Alefantis and pointed to some of the photos posted there as evidence of the 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 unrelated websites and claimed to be Alefantis' own.The restaurant's owners and staff were harassed, threatened on social media websites, and the owner received death threats.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".

[17] Another band, [31] The artist Arrington de Dionyso, whose murals are frequently displayed at the pizzeria, described the campaign of harassment against him in detail,[32] and averred of the attacks in general that "I think it’s a very deliberate assault, which will eventually be a coordinated assault on all forms of free expression." The affair has drawn comparisons with the [33][34] Several bands who had performed at the pizzeria also faced harassment. For example, Amanda Kleinman of Heavy Breathing deleted her Twitter account after receiving negative comments connecting her and her band to the conspiracy theory.Another band, Sex Stains , had closed the comments of their YouTube videos and addressed the controversy in the description of their videos.The artist Arrington de Dionyso, whose murals are frequently displayed at the pizzeria, described the campaign of harassment against him in detail,and averred of the attacks in general that "I think it’s a very deliberate assault, which will eventually be a coordinated assault on all forms of free expression." The affair has drawn comparisons with the Gamergate controversy

[35][36] The businesses received a high volume of threatening and menacing telephone calls, including [36] The co-owners of Little Red Fox and Terasol filed police reports.[36] 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.The businesses received a high volume of threatening and menacing telephone calls, including death threats , and also experienced online harassment.The co-owners of Little Red Fox and Terasol filed police reports.

[27][37] The restaurant became involved after a since-removed [38] 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".The restaurant became involved after a since-removed YouTube video used images from their social media accounts to imply they were a part of the hoax sex ring. Others then spread the accusations on social media, claiming the " Clinton family loves Roberta's".

[39][40] 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, alleged connections to the Central Intelligence Agency , and the Illuminati

Comet Ping Pong shooting

[42][43][44] Welch later told police that he had planned to "self-investigate" the conspiracy theory.[45] He surrendered after he "found no evidence that underage children were being harbored in the restaurant" and was arrested without incident.[46] No one was injured.[47] On December 4, 2016, Edgar Maddison Welch, a 28-year-old man from Salisbury, North Carolina , fired three shots in the restaurant with an AR-15-style rifle , striking walls, a desk, and a door.Welch later told police that he had planned to "self-investigate" the conspiracy theory.He surrendered after he "found no evidence that underage children were being harbored in the restaurant" and was arrested without incident.No one was injured.

[48] In an interview with The New York Times, Welch later said that he regretted how he had handled the situation but did not dismiss the conspiracy theory, and rejected the description of it as "fake news".[49][50][51] Some conspiracy theorists believed that the shooting was a staged attempt to discredit their investigations.[52] Welch 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.In an interview with, Welch later said that he regretted how he had handled the situation but did not dismiss the conspiracy theory, and rejected the description of it as "fake news".Some conspiracy theorists believed that the shooting was a staged attempt to discredit their investigations.

[53] According to court documents, Welch attempted to recruit friends three days before the attack by urging them to watch a YouTube video about the conspiracy.[54] He was subsequently charged with two additional offenses, with the [55][56] On December 13, 2016, Welch was charged with one count of "interstate transportation of a firearm with intent to commit an offense" (a federal crime ).According to court documents, Welch attempted to recruit friends three days before the attack by urging them to watch a YouTube video about the conspiracy.He was subsequently charged with two additional offenses, with the grand jury returning an indictment charging Welch with assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

[44][57] On March 24, 2017, following a plea agreement with prosecutors, Welch pleaded guilty to the federal charge of interstate transport of firearms and the local District of Columbia charge of assault with a dangerous weapon. The charges carry maximum sentences of ten years each; however advisory guidelines recommend a sentence of 18 to 24 months and 18 to 60 months on the federal and District charges, respectively. Welch also agreed to pay $5,744.33 for damages to the restaurant. Welch was sentenced to four years in prison on June 22, 2017.

[58][59] On January 12, 2017, a Louisiana man, Yusif Lee Jones, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana to making a threatening phone call three days after Welch's attack, to Besta Pizza, another pizzeria on the same block as Comet Ping Pong. He said that he threatened Besta to "save the kids" and "finish what the other guy didn't." Jones faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Debunking

[4] Images of children of family and friends of the pizzeria's staff were taken from [60] The Charlotte Observer noted the diverse group of sources that had debunked the conspiracy theory, pointing out this included the The New York Times.[42] 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.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.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 published an article that analyzed the claims that the theory proposed.[2] They emphasized that: On December 10, 2016,published an article that analyzed the claims that the theory proposed.They emphasized that:

The theory claimed "cheese pizza" was code for "child pornography", since the term had been used in this context previously on the website 4chan. This was extrapolated to other mentions of food in non-political emails. However, as The New York Times pointed out, the "Podesta brothers were famous in Washington circles for their Italian cooking and big salon and fund-raising dinners, often cooked by their mother." [2]

pointed out, the "Podesta brothers were famous in Washington circles for their Italian cooking and big salon and fund-raising dinners, often cooked by their mother." Theorists linked the conspiracy to Comet Ping Pong, through similarities between company logos and symbols related to Satanism and pedophilia. However, The Times noted that similarities were also found in the logos of a number of unrelated companies, such as AOL, Time Warner, and MSN. [2]

noted that similarities were also found in the logos of a number of unrelated companies, such as AOL, Time Warner, and MSN. A photograph was circulated purporting to show President Barack Obama playing ping pong with a child inside Comet Ping Pong. The original picture hangs framed in the White House, where it was taken. [2]

Theorists claimed an underground network beneath Comet Ping Pong; however, the restaurant actually has no basement, and the picture used to support this claim was taken from another facility. [2]

Theorists claimed to have a picture of restaurant owner Alefantis wearing a T-shirt endorsing pedophilia. However, the image was of another person, and the shirt, which read "J' ❤ L'Enfant," was actually a reference to the L'Enfant Cafe-Bar in DC, whose owner was pictured in the image, and which itself is named after Pierre Charles L'Enfant, designer of much of the layout of Washington, D.C. [2]

Theorists claimed John and Tony Podesta kidnapped Madeleine McCann using police sketches that were, in fact, two sketches of the same suspect taken from the descriptions of two eyewitnesses. The claim that the brothers were in Portugal at the time of the kidnapping was sourced only to the conspiracy website Victurus Libertas, notable for, among other things, suggesting that Queen Elizabeth II is a reptilian alien.[2]

[68] No alleged victims have come forward and no physical evidence has been found.

Responses

Community messages in front of Comet Ping Pong following the shooting

[69] Syndicated columnist Daniel Ruth wrote that the conspiracy theorists' assertions were "dangerous and damaging false allegations" and that they were "repeatedly debunked, disproved and dismissed."[70] 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."Syndicated columnist Daniel Ruth wrote that the conspiracy theorists' assertions were "dangerous and damaging false allegations" and that they were "repeatedly debunked, disproved and dismissed."

[42] Stefanie MacWilliams, contributor for Planet Free Will who wrote an article about Pizzagate, was reported in the Toronto Star as saying, after the Comet Ping Pong shooting, that "I really have no regrets and it's honestly really grown our audience." Pizzagate, she said, is "two worlds clashing. People don't trust the mainstream media anymore, but it's true that people shouldn't take the alternative media as truth, either."[71] 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.Stefanie MacWilliams, contributor for Planet Free Will who wrote an article about Pizzagate, was reported in theas saying, after the Comet Ping Pong shooting, that "I really have no regrets and it's honestly really grown our audience." Pizzagate, she said, is "two worlds clashing. People don't trust the mainstream media anymore, but it's true that people shouldn't take the alternative media as truth, either."

[72] On December 8, 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."

Public opinion

[73][74][75] A poll conducted by Public Policy Polling on December 6–7, 2016, asked 1,224 U.S. registered voters if they thought Hillary Clinton was "connected to a child sex ring being run out of a pizzeria in Washington DC?" The poll showed that 9% said that they did believe she was connected, 72% said they did not, and 19% were not sure.

The Economist/[76][77][78] A poll of voters conducted on December 17–20 by YouGov asked voters if they believed that, "Leaked e-mails from the Clinton campaign talked about pedophilia and human trafficking - 'Pizzagate'." The results showed that 17% of Clinton voters responded "true" while 82% responded "not true"; and 46% of Trump voters responded "true" while 53% responded "not true."

Alex Jones and InfoWars

[52] On December 4, Infowars.com uploaded a [79] By December 14, Infowars had removed two out of three of its videos related to Pizzagate.[80] In February 2017, Alefantis' lawyers sent Jones a letter demanding an apology and retraction. Under Texas law, Jones was given a month to comply or be subject to a libel suit.[81] In March 2017, Alex Jones apologized to Alefantis for promulgating the conspiracy theory, saying "To my knowledge today, neither Mr. Alefantis, nor his restaurant Comet Ping Pong, were involved in any human trafficking as was part of the theories about Pizzagate that were being written about in many media outlets and which we commented upon."[82] After the Comet Ping Pong shooting, Alex Jones backed off from the idea that the D.C. pizzeria was the center of the conspiracy.On December 4, Infowars.com uploaded a YouTube video that linked Pizzagate to the November 13 death of a sex-worker-rights activist. The video falsely claimed that she had been investigating a link between the Clinton Foundation and human trafficking in Haiti and it speculated that she had been murdered in connection with her investigation. According to the activist's former employer, her family and her friends, her death was in fact a suicide and she was not investigating the Clinton Foundation.By December 14, Infowars had removed two out of three of its videos related to Pizzagate.In February 2017, Alefantis' lawyers sent Jones a letter demanding an apology and retraction. Under Texas law, Jones was given a month to comply or be subject to a libel suit.In March 2017, Alex Jones apologized to Alefantis for promulgating the conspiracy theory, saying "To my knowledge today, neither Mr. Alefantis, nor his restaurant Comet Ping Pong, were involved in any human trafficking as was part of the theories about Pizzagate that were being written about in many media outlets and which we commented upon."

Michael T. Flynn and Michael Flynn Jr.

Politico says "soon morphed into the '#pizzagate' conspiracy theory involving Comet Ping Pong".[84] On November 2, 2016, Flynn tweeted a link to a story with unfounded accusations and wrote, "U decide - NYPD Blows Whistle on New Hillary Emails: Money Laundering, Sex Crimes w Children, etc...MUST READ!" The tweet was shared by over 9,000 people, but was deleted from Flynn's account some time between December 12–13, 2016.[80] In November 2016, Michael T. Flynn , then on President-Elect Donald Trump 's transition team and Trump's designate for National Security Advisor , posted multiple tweets on Twitter containing conspiratorial material regarding Hillary Clinton alleging that Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, drank the blood and bodily fluids of other humans in Satanic rituals, whichsays "soon morphed into the '#pizzagate' conspiracy theory involving Comet Ping Pong".On November 2, 2016, Flynn tweeted a link to a story with unfounded accusations and wrote, "U decide - NYPD Blows Whistle on New Hillary Emails: Money Laundering, Sex Crimes w Children, etc...MUST READ!" The tweet was shared by over 9,000 people, but was deleted from Flynn's account some time between December 12–13, 2016.

After the shooting incident at Comet Ping Pong, Michael Flynn Jr., Michael T. Flynn's son and also a member of Trump's transition team, tweeted:

[85][86][87] Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it'll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many 'coincidences' tied to it.

[88] Spokesman Jason Miller did not identify the reason for Flynn Jr.'s dismissal; however, The New York Times reported that other officials had confirmed it was related to the tweet.[83] On December 6, 2016, Flynn Jr. was forced out of Trump's transition team Spokesman Jason Miller did not identify the reason for Flynn Jr.'s dismissal; however,reported that other officials had confirmed it was related to the tweet.

See also

References

Informational notes

^ The Washington Times: "In an effort to try and censor the liberty movement and free speech, the mainstream media is now attempting to label legitimate news sources like Infowars as 'fake news' to push towards a government-led shut down of Infowars.com."[14] Others have disagreed, for example U.S. News labeled InfoWars as a fake news website to avoid "at all cost".[15][16] On December 9, 2016, Alex Jones defended Infowars against the characterization of it as fake news, saying, according to: "In an effort to try and censor the liberty movement and free speech, the mainstream media is now attempting to label legitimate news sources like Infowars as 'fake news' to push towards a government-led shut down of Infowars.com."Others have disagreed, for examplelabeled InfoWars as a fake news website to avoid "at all cost".

Citations

External links