Conservative conference with prominent QAnon supporters to close out with Covid mask-burning event

<p>Jim Caviezel, an actor best known for portraying Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ, pushed the outlandish conspiracy theory concerning ‘the adrenochroming of children’ at the conference</p> (Getty Images)

Jim Caviezel, an actor best known for portraying Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ, pushed the outlandish conspiracy theory concerning ‘the adrenochroming of children’ at the conference

(Getty Images)
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The conservative “Health and Freedom Conference” is closing out on Saturday night with a Covid-19 mask-burning event.

The two-day conference, hosted by Rhema Bible College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has seen some prominent right-wing speakers espouse a wave of conspiracy theories to 4,500 attendees.

Among the speakers was Donald Trump’s disgraced national security advisor, General Michael Flynn, along with Tulsa Sheriff Vic Regalado, and Jim Caviezel, an actor who played Jesus in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ.

Lawyer Sidney Powell, a Trump team advisor who spread misinformation about the 2020 election, also had a Saturday slot.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell was scheduled to speak on Saturday afternoon, according to the conference itinerary. Like Ms Powell, he has been amplifying misinformation about voter fraud.

At 9:30pm on Saturday, the schedule indicates that “it’s time to burn those masks”.

Pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood received a standing ovation after he spoke on Friday, Newsweek reported. The crowd got to their feet as Mr Wood made “Q” gestures during his speech, referring to the QAnon conspiracy theory. He also falsely told the audience that Mr Trump won the 2020 election and that he was still president.

Mr Wood said: “He won the presidency and he is the person that we the people selected. Donald J Trump is still the president of the United States of America. He is your president.”

Jim Caviezel, an actor best known for portraying Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of the Christ, also put in an appearance. During his speech, he pushed an outlandish conspiracy theory about “the adrenochroming of children”, while promoting his upcoming filmThe Sound of Freedom, where he plays a former special agent for the Department of Homeland Security.

Some followers of the Trump-supporting, conspiracy theory QAnon believe that the higher echelons of Hollywood and the Democratic Party are taking a psychedelic drug called Adrenochrome, which they believe is harvested from the fear of children, The Daily Beast notes. Adrenochrome is a chemical compound that is formed by the oxidation of adrenaline.

“When you are scared, you produce adrenaline, if you’re an athlete, you’re in the fourth quarter, you have adrenaline that comes out of you,” Mr Caviezel said over video link.

The conference host said that there were about 4,500 people in the room during Mr Caviezel’s interview. There appeared to be little social distancing and few masks.

“If a child knows he’s going to die, his body will secrete this adrenaline,” Mr Caviezel added, as he pushed the conspiracy theory which has deep roots in anti-semitism.

“It’s the worst horror I’ve ever seen, the screaming alone even if I never, ever saw it... These people that do it, there will be no mercy for them,” Mr Caviezel said to cheers and applause from the crowd.

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