HOUSTON – The Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel by the Galleria canceled an upcoming conference that was set to be held by the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights later this month.
The cancellation comes amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The hotel, which was supposed to host the conference from Oct. 27 - Oct. 28, said the cancellation was due to “safety and security concerns.”
“The safety and security of our Team Members and guests is our top priority. Given escalating security concerns, the hotel has determined it cannot serve as the venue for this event because of the potential risks to Team Members and guests,” the hotel’s statement read.
Deemed the “largest movement-wide Palestine conference in the U.S.,” according to its website, the USCPR National Conference was set to host some notable speakers, including journalist Marc Lamont Hill, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, attorney Diali Shamas and more.
As the event reached closer to date, the event came under fire, with several people reportedly calling Hilton and demanding the protest be canceled.
Gov. Greg Abbott also posted on X applauding Hilton for canceling the event, saying in part, “Hilton Hotels in Houston was correct to pull the plug on the U.S. Campaign for Palestine Rights event hosted by Hamas supporters.”
According to the USCPR, the cancellation was made “with very little notice or advanced warning.”
In a news release, the organization said the experience is not an isolated incident and they have seen “a concerted effort to vilify and silence anyone who speaks up for Palestinian human rights.”
“The breach by Hilton is clearly an act of ethnic, racial and religious discrimination. Further, canceling the conference because of our organization’s political positions goes against our First Amendment rights. Not only has Hilton breached their agreement with us, they have also sent a strong message that they stand on the side of hate and bigotry,” USCPR Executive Director Ahmad Abuznaid stated in a news release. “Moving forward we will explore all options to remedy this. We will fight back and remain undeterred in our mission to advocate for justice, equality, and self-determination for the Palestinian people.”
The organization also responded to Abbott’s tweet, saying the message “attacked our organizers, and dehumanized Palestinians, put our staff, volunteers, and participants in harm’s way.”
“The Governor’s rhetoric, and actions by the hotel echo and inflame the sharp increase in hate incidents that are targeting Arabs, rhetoric that led to the murder of 6-year-old Wadie Al Fayoume,” the release said. “We stand with countless others who have been subjected to similar unjust actions in the past. Such incidents remind us that we must persist in our efforts to shed light on the ongoing human rights abuses in Palestine and the need for international intervention.”
Read the full statement below from Hilton Houston:
“Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria serves as a place of public accommodation and does not endorse the positions of third-party groups or organizations. The safety and security of our Team Members and guests is our top priority. Given escalating security concerns in the current environment, the hotel has determined that it cannot serve as the venue for this event because of the potential risks to our Team Members and guests. Our priority is and will remain the safety and security of everyone we welcome at our hotels.” – Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria Spokesperson