Coronavirus: US shop selling Star of David-like ‘not vaccinated’ badges hit with social media backlash
- HatWRKS in Tennessee was excoriated on social media and targeted by protesters after promoting a yellow star patch labelled ‘not vaccinated’
- The controversy came the same week that a Republican congresswoman equated Covid-19 mask mandates with Nazis forcing Jews to wear yellow stars
A hat shop in the US state of Tennessee has been hit with backlash after promoting a yellow star patch like those worn by Jews in Nazi-era Germany, labelled “not vaccinated”.
Iconic American hatmaker Stetson said on Saturday it would no longer do business with the Nashville shop HatWRKS, which was excoriated on social media and targeted by protesters.
“Your Nazi star badges are perhaps the most offensive, anti-Semitic thing I’ve ever seen,” one user posted on the business’s Facebook page, summing up the social media outcry in response to the post, while others used the hashtag #HATEWORKS.
Local media showed a few dozen protesters outside the shop on Saturday, including some who held up a banner declaring “No Nazis in Nashville!”
And Stetson, known for its Western hats, said on Saturday that “as a result of the offensive content and opinions shared, Stetson and our distribution partners will cease the sale of all Stetson products to HatWRKS in Nashville.”