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Airbnb Will Cancel All Washington D.C. Reservations During Inauguration Week
Local, state, and federal officials have asked people not to travel to the capital for the inauguration. Stefan ZaklinGetty Images
Following the violent pro-Trump riots at the Capitol last week, Washington D.C. has been on high alert for more unrest leading up to and during the January 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, an event which was already set to be in an unprecedentedly revised format due to the ongoing pandemic. Local, state, and federal officials, including mayor Muriel Bowser and governors Ralph Northam and Larry Hogan (of Virginia and Maryland, respectively) have implored people not to travel to the nation s capital for the event.
While Benson understands some people need the money from Airbnb, he’s been sending messages to owners asking them to vet guests ahead of time.
“Kind of ask like, ‘Oh, where are you coming from, what brings you to town, what plans do you have here, etc.,’” Benson said.
Northwest resident Melanie Ho saw the movement on social media and decided to join, too.
Encouraging #DC folks to pls refrain from listing on VRBO/Airbnb/etc. Jan 17-20. Pls realize POC neighbors are even more terrified; I m fearful of those who think folks who look like me are responsible for the pandemic and have been incited against POC. Pass it on: #DontRentDC Melanie Ho (@melanieho13) January 9, 2021
Airbnb said Monday that it’s reviewing reservations in the Washington, D.C., area ahead of next week’s presidential inauguration and will bar any guests associated with hate groups or violent activity.
Airbnb banning rioters, hate groups ahead of inaugurati accesswdun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from accesswdun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
On a related note, GoFundMe has announced it will no longer allow people to fundraise to cover travel expenses to potentially violent political events following last week s riot, CNN and BuzzFeed report.
A spokesperson told CNN the company will remove fundraisers that attempt to spread misinformation about the election, promote conspiracy theories and contribute to or participate in attacks on US democracy.
Airbnb has had a policy of removing guests who are confirmed to be members of hate groups since 2017, when it blocked guests who were headed to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Airbnb said it will warn all guests in the Washington region that it may bring legal action against them if they are members of hate groups or if they plan violent activities. It’s also telling hosts to call a hotline if they suspect guests are violating Airbnb’s policy.