Airbnb blocks reservations in Washington

After the attack on the Capitol and a few days before the inauguration of Joe Biden, Airbnb decided to react. In a statement on Wednesday, the American giant announced that it had blocked the rental of housing in Washington and its suburbs. “Airbnb will cancel reservations […] »In the week of January 20. “In addition, we will prevent any new reservations,” added the group quoted by AFP.

At the same time, Airbnb decided to grant a gesture of goodwill. Customers who have had their trip canceled at the last moment in the US capital will be fully reimbursed. Renters who will not be able to accommodate tourists will also be compensated. They will receive the amount they should have received.

UPDATE: In response to various local, state and federal officials asking people not to travel to Washington, D.C., we are cancelling reservations and preventing new reservations in the Washington, D.C. metro area during Inauguration week. https://t.co/TwadjkJ98p

– Airbnb (@Airbnb) January 13, 2021

The group is thus responding to a request from local authorities. Fearing further violence on inauguration day, they called on Americans and travelers not to visit Washington during the week of January 20. In addition, to prevent any overflow, more than 20,000 soldiers of the National Guard will be mobilized in the city, announced Wednesday the boss of the police. Several press articles notably revealed that armed militias and violent groups were planning to disrupt the January 20 ceremony.

Hotels under pressure

In Washington, a campaign organized by activists and militant groups has for several days encouraged Airbnb hosts not to rent their homes during the nomination. The local Black Lives Matter branch, for its part, put pressure on hotels not to make their rooms available to people coming from outside.

“We are continuing our work to ensure that members of hate groups are not part of the Airbnb community,” assured the company, which said it had expelled from its platform individuals who took part in the violence on the Capitol on January 6. .