The sovereign citizen ideology and rhetoric is spreading rapidly, likely facilitated by the pandemic. One strain of it stems from the bogus International Criminal Court “verdict.” Though this verdict has no basis in reality, those with large Telegram groups didn’t get the message or if they did, they don’t care to believe in it. They claim that this “verdict” is real and gives them and others the right to start arresting people. They are calling for and predicting mass arrests. Though not everyone is explicitly stating that their followers participate in the arrests, they are requesting that people deliver the “verdict” along with “The Queen of Canada’s” infamous cease-and-desist letters of which she claims have been wildly successful (they have not).
Others are showing up a politician’s homes, claiming to be “common-law constables” and overall being confrontational, obstinate and irrational. Some are threatening violence. This is only a sample of what I have been seeing.
There is also a belief among many in the Telegram groups that the Metropolitan police launched a criminal investigation into Britain’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout and officers are supposably shutting down vaccine centers. The claim is that there is a criminal investigation ongoing and are encouraging people to report adverse reactions to their local police stations. In their outreach materials, they reference a specific criminal number further trying to convince others that a real criminal investigation is taking place. A news organization contacted the Metropolitan police to inquire about this supposed criminal investigation. The police told them that “no vaccine centers have been shut down” and there is no probe. In other words, it’s not real and has no legitimacy. This hasn’t stopped people from collecting alleged adverse reactions from the vaccines and attempting to deliver their “evidence” to the police.
The Anti-Defamation League recently explored the intermingling between QAnon and sovereign citizen ideology. The BBC recently put out an explainer about sovereign citizens in the UK because of increased growth of the movement.
This is a dangerous movement that is growing rapidly across the world. More must be done to prevent the continued spread of sovereign citizen ideology and rhetoric.