QAnon flags seen flying in Calgary neighbourhood

Residents in Calgary’s southwest have raised concerns after two homes in the neighbourhood of Cliff Bungalow recently flew flags connected to a group of radical right wing conspiracy theorists, according to Livewire Calgary.

Two QAnon flags appeared at two homes in the neighbourhood. They are blue with a large “Q” in the middle and the skull from the Marvel Comics Punisher behind it. Residents are concerned the flags may be a recruitment tactic for the group.

The flags were reportedly first noticed on July 2 after Corey Hurren allegedly drove his truck through the Rideau Hall’s gates—allegedly attempting to harm Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Hurren reportedly posted QAnon-related content on the social media page of a company he owns called GrindHouse Fine Foods, before the incident. People then alleged that Hurran had motivations related to QAnon’s conspiracy theories.

When asked about the flag, Bobbi, one of the homeowners that flies a QAnon flag said it has no connection to a conspiracy group and is just a cool design that shows support for a 2020 documentary by Mike Smith called Out of the Shadow.

“It’s just a logo with the punisher skull in the middle. I think it’s cool but it’s for a movie I saw about how big media lies and politicians have ulterior motives,” she noted adding that it shows skepticism towards current world events.

A neighbour living down the street from the flags says it appears that the flags are being shared as a recruitment tactic.

“The first person to put up a flag had essentially printed out a stack of these flags and was actively recruiting people in the neighborhood to put up more flags,” said Qassim Merali. “Basically to help amplify the message they’re trying to spread out around town.”

Merali believes the flags are being flown as a response to Black Lives Matter movements happening throughout the city. He thinks the flags represent a step backwards for Calgary.

“It was upsetting to see that because I felt that it’s really just going against the grain of social progress,” he said.

“At the same time, it’s hard to make any assumptions, because I’ve never spoken to these people. But from the flag, it was quite apparent to me where these people stood on the political spectrum.”