Why today’s date means so much to believers of QAnon

Security is being reinforced around the US Capitol today as some right-wing conspiracy theorists gear up for what they believe will be a second, secret inauguration, writes Harriet Sinclair

The QAnon conspiracy has evolved to endorse Trump’s big election lie (Getty)

The news that security had to be reinforced ahead of today should come as no surprise, but nonetheless raises the sad question of whether the US Capitol is being transformed from a hub of democracy into what one lawmaker described last week as “a fortress”.

Today – 4 March – is, for those unfamiliar with QAnon vernacular, the date of what right-wing conspiracy theorists believe will be an alternative inauguration, returning Donald Trump to the White House. As such, there is naturally the potential for violence.

Tackling the ongoing threat – and make no mistake, conspiracy theorists and various other violent fringe groups have more than one date circled in their diaries – poses something of a challenge for Capitol security and lawmakers who understandably want to feel safe in their own workplaces but don’t want to turn Capitol Hill into Alcatraz.