Commotion: CPAC’s Nazi-Symbol Stage
The Claim
The center stage of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) resembles the Othala rune, a symbol appropriated by fascists.
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Emerging story
CPAC took place over the February 25-28 2021 weekend. Following the event, many social media users discussed the shape of the center stage. Some alleged that it closely resembles a Nazi symbol.
Misbar’s Analysis
The Othala rune (also called the Odal rune) is from the runic alphabet, which was written and spoken in pre-Roman Europe. The Anti-Defamation League describes it as a hate symbol appropriated by Nazis in the early 20th century. Some social media users alleged that CPAC deliberately designed their stage in such a way as if to give a wink to neo-Nazis. Several news organizations have written about it, including the Times of Israel and the Washington Post.
Misbar’s investigation found that while the stage does resemble an upside-down Othala rune, there is no proof indicating whether or not it was made that way on purpose. At the time of writing, there’s no evidence to suggest that CPAC deliberately made their stage look like Othala rune. As such, we rate this claim as commotion.
