Airbnb has cancelled the accounts of far-right activists who appear to have booked accommodation ahead of a rally in Virginia that expects a high turnout of white nationalists.
Far-right activists are set to descend upon Charlottesville, Va. on Saturday for a “Unite the Right” rally, which the Southern Poverty Law Center is calling the “largest hate-gathering of its kind in decades.” But the hundreds of far-right individuals who are expected to attend may have trouble finding a place to stay after Airbnb removed some accounts.
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“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 rental company said in a statement to NBC29.
Rally organizer Jason Kessler called the decision by Airbnb “outrageous” in an email to The Washington Post.
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“It’s the racial targeting of white people for their ethnic advocacy,” Kessler said. “Would Airbnb cancel the service of black nationalists or Black Lives Matter activists for their social media activity? Of course not!”