Police in Quebec are investigating three cell tower fires that may be connected to conspiracy theories about 5G being linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 3rd, a small town in Quebec named Prévost took to Facebook to state that its cell tower does not have 5G capabilities. A few hours after the post went up, the tower was found ablaze. Twenty minutes later, there were reports of another cell tower on fire in a nearby city.
Quebec police say they suspect that foul play is involved in both cell tower fires. These two fires followed the first cell tower fire in Laval, Quebec that was reported on May 1st.
A spokesperson for the town of Prévost told The Canadian Press that many residents in the area had been talking about false conspiracy theories linking the next generation of wireless technology with the ongoing pandemic.
Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains took to Twitter to state that he is “troubled by the reports of vandalism of Canadian cell towers.”
Very troubled by the reports of vandalism of Canadian cell towers. As many of us are staying home, we’re relying on wireless and internet services to connect to our work, school, and loved ones. These criminal acts are completely unacceptable and threaten emergency services.
— Navdeep Bains (@NavdeepSBains) May 5, 2020
There has been a rise in the number of theories that link 5G to the virus. Some theorists falsely claim that 5G deployment has created the virus, while some claim that COVID-19 is a coverup for 5G deployment.
The conspiracy theories first started gaining popularity in the U.K., where more than 50 cell towers have been set ablaze. There are also reports of similar attacks in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Cyprus.
Source: The Canadian Press
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