Prominent hat-making companies have distanced themselves from a Nashville hat store after a massive public uproar, which was triggered by the anti-vaccine patch it rolled out, which was meant to resemble the ones the Nazis forced Jews to wear.
An Instagram post made by the owner of the hat store hatWRKS had previously triggered a massive backlash online. The post promoted yellow patches in the shape of a 6-pointed star with “not vaccinated” written on them.
The owner then deleted the original post, but instead of apologising, went on to say “if you don’t understand what is happening it’s on you, not me” and asking people if they are “outraged with the tyranny the world is experiencing”.
By this time, the online outrage started had spilling out into the real world, with crowds of protestors surrounding the shop, holding up signs “No Nazis in Nashville” and “End Hateworks”.
Major US hat manufacturer Stetson took to Twitter to announce that it was no longer selling its hats via the store due to the offensive content shared by the shop.
Other hat manufacturers like Goorin Bros, Akubra Hats, and Bailey Hats have also released statements saying they were suspending business with hatWRKS.
The store finally apologised for the patches and “any insensitivity” on Saturday evening, saying “in NO WAY did I intend to trivialise the Star of David or disrespect what happened to millions of people.”