The Hyatt Hotels Corporation called “hateful” symbols of hatred on Sunday after the design of a stage at the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in one of its hotels showed comparisons to a Norwegian rune conducted by Nazis during the second world war was used.
Well-known Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, attended the four-day event in Orlando, Florida, while the conflict between Trump allies and established politicians tried to remove the party from him.
A photo of the CPAC stage went viral on social media on Saturday, with thousands of Twitter users sharing posts comparing its distinctive design to an othala rune, also known as an odal rune, one of the many ancient European symbols that Nazis adopted around a mythical ‘Aryan’ past, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
According to Reuters’ photos, there was a lighting screen in the same shape as the stage on the ceiling of the conference room.
Hyatt said all aspects of conference logistics, including stage design, are managed by the U.S. Conservative Union, which organized the conference.
The comparisons were “outrageous and defamatory,” said Matt Schlapp, chairman of the U.S. Conservative Union. said on Saturday. He added that the organization had a “long-standing connection with the Jewish community” and that the conference included several Jewish speakers.
Hyatt said in a statement on Sunday: “We take very seriously the prospect of including symbols of hatred in CPAC 2021 on stage, as all of these symbols are heinous and unquestionably contrary to our values as’ a business.
Some Trump supporters who launched a deadly uprising against the U.S. Capitol on January 6 carried the Confederate flags, which many Americans see as a symbol of oppression and slavery. Extremism experts said some of the rioters were members of white nationalist groups.
The rune was seen in 2017 during the White Opposition in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which violent clashes with protesters and one civil rights activist were killed when a neo-fascist drove his car into the crowd.
Neo-Nazis have been using the Odal Rune sign in place of the swastika for several years.
CPAC’s stage is the same shape.
The photo on the left is in 2017 of Charlotteville. pic.twitter.com/6Ylt2U4U3C
– Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) 27 February 2021
Joe Biden cites the event and Trump’s assessment at the time that there were “many good people on both sides” as a factor in his motivation to run for the Democratic nomination. He won the presidency in November 2020.
Trump’s presence dominated this year’s CPAC, with his supporters parking a golden statue of him through the hotel lobby.
With Reuters