The "Qonvention" was Exorbitant and Depraved

[Nevilledog]

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Protean's own Steven Monacelli (@stevanzetti) managed to infiltrate a Dallas QAnon convention. He found that not only did it resemble a warped evangelical religious revival, but also that the movement continues to come alarmingly close to actual power.

The "Qonvention" was Exorbitant and Depraved • Protean Magazine
Protean publisher Steven Monacelli managed to infiltrate a Dallas QAnon convention. He found that not only did it resemble a particularly warped evangelical religious revival, but also that the...
proteanmag.com
3:53 PM · Jun 7, 2021

https://proteanmag.com/2021/06/07/the-qonvention-was-exorbitant-and-depraved/


I usually prefer not to spend my time seeking entry to a conference for a Christofascist conspiracy-obsessed cult that is actively promoting a military coup. That is not the kind of thing that I generally enjoy. But that’s exactly what I found myself doing when the QAnon-centric “For God & Country Patriot Roundup” convention came to Dallas, Texas, the city I call home.

For a time, it seemed like the convention wasn’t going to happen at all. The original venue had backed out after a series of critical reports in a local paper. One of those articles detailed the organizers’ denial that the convention was affiliated with QAnon, featuring quotes from one “QAnon John.” Nevertheless, John and his wife, “QueenAnon Amy,” forged ahead undaunted. Local elected officials put up no resistance to the conclave, perhaps in part due to a previous legal battle that resulted in a six-figure settlement for cancelling a pornography festival in 2016. Local activists mulled protesting the event, and one choir group chose to do just that. But aside from counter-demonstration, there was little that concerned Dallasites could do to prevent an extremist conspiratorial movement from descending upon their city.

So, I decided to report on the event from the inside. Initially I pursued the traditional route: I pitched a publication, requested a press pass, and planned to make myself known as a member of the press. But within an hour of submitting my request, I received a rejection. “We’re all full,” the media coordinator wrote. Of course, that wasn’t the truth. General admission tickets were still on sale for $500 the day before the event started. Other journalists had also been denied access. The reasons given varied, but were really besides the point—the organizers wouldn’t grant entry to any reporter who might be even slightly unsympathetic. Instead, they invited in far-right rags like The Epoch Times and Gateway Pundit. Going in undercover was the only option left.

The event began in earnest on Friday night. Hundreds descended upon the Omni Hotel to pick up their badges, forming a snaking line that spilled outside the building. That evening, holders of $1,000 VIP tickets gathered for a reception with the stars of the show. They took selfies with Michael Flynn and rubbed shoulders with QAnon micro-celebrities like Jason Sather. The latter could apparently be heard bemoaning the fact that he had been banned on 14 platforms, as an inside source informed me.

*snip*

[soothsayer]

1. Very interesting

[empedocles]

2. Described a real, feal, for the gathering. TY.

[Klaralven]

3. K&R