Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC, is facing backlash after Bloomberg reporter William Turton tweeted a video showing maskless Trump supporters mingling inside the hotel after the historicCapitol siege .Hyatt is now facing backlash on social media after the video, posted on Wednesday night, went viral.- Hyatt has called yesterday's riot "shocking, horrifying and indefensible," a Hyatt spokesperson told Insider in a statement.
- The hotel's team successfully asked the guests to either wear a mask, leave, or go to their rooms, according to the statement.
Hyatt is facing backlash on social media after a video went viral on
The video, posted by Bloomberg reporter William Turton, shows clusters of people with Trump paraphernalia drinking and socializing in the Grand Hyatt Washington lobby.
—William Turton (@WilliamTurton) January 7, 2021
According to the following tweets from Turton, Trump supporters started harassing him after filming the video, and the hotel's security team had to relocate Turton to a new room.
—William Turton (@WilliamTurton) January 7, 2021
Angry Twitter users were set alight after the video went viral, with some questioning where the Trump supporters' masks were despite the hotel's mask policy. Others have called for Hyatt to remove the hotel guests.
—Cyrus Saatsaz (@DogSurfRoadshow) January 7, 2021
—Jamie Larounis (@TheForwardCabin) January 7, 2021
The video is also now being included in conversations around the issue of white privilege that has played out during Wednesday's siege, with one Twitter user, @TrumpsTaxes, tweeting, "White privilege is committing insurrection during the day and then enjoying cocktails later that night."
—Sharon Weinberger (@weinbergersa) January 7, 2021
A Black Lives Matter chapter in Washington, DC, has now called for a boycott on hotels that "support white supremacists and hate" on Twitter, and is asking hotels in the DC area to "renounce Trump-affiliated protestors and cancel the reservation of people coming to town to undermine democracy."
—Black Lives Matter DC (@DMVBlackLives) January 7, 2021
In response to the viral Twitter video, a Hyatt spokesperson told Insider in an email statement that the "violent and destructive events in Washington DC yesterday were shocking, horrifying, and indefensible."
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According to the statement, all Hyatt hotels in Washington, DC, were "acutely aware of the chaos that was unfolding outside of their hotels, and their primary focus was to ensure the safety and security of all guests and colleagues during this tumultuous time."
The Grand Hyatt Washington specifically had security protocols in place and "engaged with local authorities to ensure the safety and security of all guests and colleagues."
"The Grand Hyatt Washington team worked to address the situation in an effort to ensure guests were following COVID-19 protocols - including by offering face coverings or requesting guests to return to guestrooms," the Hyatt spokesperson said in the statement. "We can confirm that, as a result of these efforts, individuals ultimately returned to their guestrooms, vacated the premises, or complied with these protocols without incident. We will continue to work to enforce protocols so that guests are aware of their responsibility in helping protect the health and safety of our colleagues and their fellow guests."
Guests at every Hyatt hotel who don't wear face masks are asked to leave the premise or to remain in their respective rooms, according to the statement. The hotel chain also asks its patrons to social distance from anyone who's not in their immediate party, and has distancing guidelines laid out throughout the hotel to help enforce this rule.
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