Matt Schlapp, the head of the U.S. Conservative Union, which organizes the Conservative political action conference, is pushing back against those who said the stage for the event taking place in Orlando is grim. reminiscent of a Nazi symbol. “Conspiracies on stage design are outrageous and defamatory,” Slack tweeted. He added: “CPAC stands proudly with our Jewish allies.”
The fact that Schlapp had the need to comment on the issue illustrates how comprehensive the comparisons have become social media as many have pointed out that the shape of the stage looked like a Nazi symbol. Specifically, many have said that the stage looks like a version of the Odal rune, also known as the Othala rune. The symbol dates back centuries, but was also used by some Nazi SS divisions during World War II. The symbol was affixed to the uniforms of some Nazi soldiers.
Some social media users shared photos which compared the CPAC stage with the old uniforms, illustrating the similarity. The Anti-Defamation League pointed out that the post-World War II symbol was widely used among white supremacists and Neo-Nazis in both Europe and North America.
Readers like you make our work possible. Help us continue the reporting, commenting and critique you will not find anywhere else.
Join