STAGE DESIGN’S RESEMBLANCE TO NAZI SIGN DRAWS SHARP CRITICISM

WASHINGTON: Hyatt Hotels called symbols of hate “abhorrent” on Sunday after the design of a stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at one of its hotels in Orlando, Florida drew comparisons to a Norse rune used by Nazis during World War II.

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, one of many ancient European symbols that Nazis adopted to “reconstruct a mythic Aryan past”, according to the Anti-defamation League.

Hyatt Hotels said all aspects of conference logistics were managed by the American Conservative Union (ACU). The comparisons were “outrageous and slanderous”, Matt Schlapp, ACU chair, later tweeted.

In a statement, Hyatt said, “We take the concern raised about the prospect of symbols of hate being included in the stage design at CPAC 2021 very seriously as all such symbols are abhorrent.”