TOPLINE
Airbnb is calling off all reservations in the Washington, D.C. area during next week’s Inauguration amid official calls for would-be tourists to stay away from the nation’s capital, and the rental app admits it has banned users who allegedly participated in last week’s violence.
KEY FACTS
Airbnb will cancel all existing reservations and block any future bookings near D.C. during Inauguration week, offering full refunds to guests and reimbursing hosts for lost income, the room rental app said in a statement on Wednesday.
The company says it’s following guidance from local officials who are urging people not to travel to D.C. for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, and it is concerned about new reports that armed far-right groups are plotting violent disruptions next week.
Airbnb also said it has banned “numerous” people from the platform after discovering they participated in the riot in the U.S. Capitol building.
Airbnb did not disclose how many customers will lose their bookings.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“[W]e have identified numerous individuals who are either associated with known hate groups or otherwise involved in the criminal activity at the Capitol Building, and they have been banned from Airbnb’s platform,” Airbnb announced in its statement.
KEY BACKGROUND
In the wake of last week’s storming of the Capitol building by a mob of President Trump’s supporters, police are preparing in case some of the same groups return to the city for Biden’s swearing-in. Some threats have already emerged: Armed protests are planned for D.C. and every state capital ahead of the Inauguration, the FBI said Monday, and extremists are chatting on social media about violent plots on Inauguration Day itself. As a result, officials like D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser are encouraging people to stay away from the capital and watch the festivities at home, dampening an event normally marked by large crowds.
SURPRISING FACT
Airbnb is not the only tourist-oriented business to face pressure ahead of next week’s events. Some Washington locals are also pleading with the city’s large hotels to shut down reservations, local TV station WUSA reported. Plus, the Washington Monument is canceling all tours until the end of next week over threats of violence.
TANGENT
Downtown D.C.’s Hotel Harrington chose to shut down for part of last week out of concern for “health and safety,” a decision that followed reports the far-right Proud Boys were planning on using the hotel as a congregating spot during the protests. The hotel declined to comment on its plans for next week.
