Airbnb bans Proud Boys member, says platform is ‘no place’ for ‘hate groups’
'Anyone affiliated with hate groups has no place on Airbnb,' the company says in a Twitter post
As thousands descended on the nation’s capital Saturday for a MAGA rally in support of outgoing President Donald Trump, one demonstrator was stripped of his Airbnb privileges.
Ronald Gaudier, a self-proclaimed member of far-right, neo-fascist group Proud Boys, made reservations to stay at a place listed on Airbnb during his visit to Washington, D.C. The company, however, made their own arrangements to cancel the reservation and ban the man from renting a space listed on the platform in the future, according to WBFF in Baltimore.
Gaudier was joining thousands of people attending the so-called “Million MAGA March” to support Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged against the sitting president after the race was called for former Vice President Joe Biden about a week ago.
READ MORE: Proud Boys take Trump’s ‘stand back and stand by’ callout as marching orders
A social media user had taken a screenshot of Gaudier confirming his reservation with the lodging company and posted it to Twitter, tagging the company in the process. Upon learning about his role in Proud Boys, Airbnb rescinded the man’s reservation and later banned him from using the service.
Airbnb replied to the Twitter post, confirming the cancellation: “We really appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Anyone affiliated with hate groups has no place on Airbnb. We’ve identified the reservation, cancelled it, and banned the user from our platform.”
According to the screengrabs, Gaudier had booked a stay within “walking distance” and offered room for “a couple other guys” to join him at the property. His reservation was originally set for Nov. 13-15.
READ MORE: Violent clashes in DC after Trump backers’ election protest
The rally took place at Freedom Plaza on Saturday. The Proud Boys helped stage and promote the gathering via Parler, a social media app that’s popular among conservatives who are skeptical of the traditional sites like Facebook and Twitter, a Trump favorite. Thousands of people gathered for the demonstration, which was peaceful during the day before reports of violence commencing.
According to WTTG, a man was hospitalized from multiple stab wounds. By the end of the night, 21 arrests were made.
Trump’s motorcade passed through the rally earlier in the day on his way to a golfing trip. He caught wind of the violence taking place and took to Twitter, blaming the violence on participants in the anti-fascist movement Antifa for attacks on Trump supporters. He urged local police to “do your job and don’t hold back!!!”
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