A Washington, D.C., restaurant issued an apology after it hosted the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist group led by the man who claims credit for coining the term “alt-right,” for a banquet this weekend.
A statement posted on the Facebook page of Maggiano’s Little Italy said that a banquet for NPI was booked “last minute” on Friday under a different name for its location in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Friendship Heights.
The statement continued that Maggiano’s was “not aware” of the group’s real name or what it represented, and that the restaurant would donate its profits from Friday, $10,000, to the Anti-Defamation League.
On Saturday, at the end of the NPI’s conference at the Ronald Reagan Building in downtown D.C., the New York Times reported that some attendees raised their hands in Nazi salutes and cheered “Heil the people! Heil victory!”
“This expression of support of Hitler is extremely offensive to us, as our restaurant is home to Teammates and Guests of every race, religion and cultural background,” Maggiano’s statement read.
A day earlier, midway through a dinner at the Italian-American restaurant, more than 30 protestors swarmed the restaurant and attempted to reach the NPI gathering on the second floor, according to the Washington Post. They were stopped by restaurant staff and eventually continued their protest outside.
NPI describes itself as an “organization dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent” on its website.
Read the restaurant’s apology below:
