This coming weekend, ‘Unite the Right’, an alt-right/white supremacist rally is scheduled to take place in Charlottesville. Yesterday, it was first reported by Gizmodo and TechCrunch that Airbnb has deactivated accounts of persons known to be attending the event this weekend.
Airbnb provided TechCrunch with the following statement:
“In 2016 we established the Airbnb Community Commitment reflecting our belief that to make good on our mission of belonging, those who are members of the Airbnb community accept people regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age. We asked all members of the Airbnb to affirmatively sign on to this commitment. When through our background check processes or from input of our community we identify and determine that there are those who would be pursuing behavior on the platform that would be antithetical to the Airbnb Community Commitment, we seek to take appropriate action including, as in this case, removing them from the platform.”
The rally appears to be organized by individuals and groups affiliated with “The Daily Storm” and have boasted online about setting up “Nazi Uber” and a “Hate Van” to operate during the weekend.
This is not the first time Airbnb has banned openly bigoted hosts as they have a ‘community commitment’ all hosts must adhere to, that includes treating fellow members with dignity and respect.
Large numbers of interfaith leaders, Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists and other groups are planning counter protests this weekend in Charlottesville.
If you are planning to attend this event as a counter protestor, OutWire757 would like to hear from you.
