Design Foundry, the company hired to set up the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), is taking responsibility for the stage design after some compared it to a Nazi symbol.
The company told the Forward in a statement it “had no idea that the design resembled any symbol, nor was there any intention to create something that did.”
Several took to Twitter to make the comparison between the stage and the Odal or Othala Rune, a symbol displayed on Nazi uniforms.
Here is a well known Nazi symbol and the stage design at the 2021 #CPAC Convention. What a wacky coincidence! #CPAC2021 pic.twitter.com/ZM5Q38XoBQ
— Daylin Leach (@daylinleach) February 27, 2021
https://twitter.com/fred_guttenberg/status/1365722129078112256
According to the company, the American Conservative Union approved the design. It was “intended to provide the best use of space, given the constraints of the ballroom and social distancing requirements.”
Hyatt Hotels also released a statement condemning the use of these symbols.
“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 and unequivocally counter to our values as a company,” the statement reads.
Director of communications for the ACU and CPAC, Ian Walters, told the Forward the design company “provided several options for us to choose from and what we ended up with was the most workable of the options they submitted.”
“ACU and CPAC have no interest in promoting antisemitism from our stage, whether it’s what happens on the stage or the design of the stage itself,” Walters said.
He continued, “It’s clear that the company we retained designed a stage that has become an unwelcome distraction. As a result, we will not be using that company’s services going forward at future events.”
Design Foundry said it was “saddened” and “horrified” at the notion it was a deliberate act.
“Design Foundry denounces all hate speech and acts of racism, prejudice, or bigotry in all forms,” the company said.