Disney heiress Abigail Disney said her grandfather was “turning in his grave” after video surfaced showing Nazi flags being waved in front of Disney World in Florida.
The videos, posted on Twitter by a Florida state official, showed about 15 protesters waving the Nazi flag and saying, “Go back to Mexico.”
Others appeared to be marching with signs featuring Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ face, the N-word and homophobic slurs Saturday noon.
A flag that reads “DeSantis 2024 Make America Florida” was also planted in the ground nearby.
The Republican governor is trying to limit Disney World’s power in Orlando.
On Sunday, Abigail Disney posted her response to protesters on social media: “My grandfather is turning in his grave.”
Abigail Disney, the heiress to the Disney empire, said her grandfather was “turning in his grave” when video surfaced showing Nazi flags being waved in front of Disney World in Florida
People were seen waving Nazi flags outside the main entrance of Disney World on Saturday
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said officers responded to the demonstration, which broke up after about two hours with no arrests made
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said officers responded to the demonstration, which broke up after about two hours with no arrests made. Two counter-demonstrators were also present.
“We are aware of these groups aiming to incite and incite people with anti-Semitic symbols and slurs,” the statement said. “You also know the law.”
“The Orange County Sheriff’s Office deplores hate speech in any form, but people have the right to demonstrate under the First Amendment,” it said.
“And while what these groups are doing is outrageous and is strongly condemned by the sheriff and the sheriff’s office, to our knowledge they did not commit any criminal activity as of Saturday.”
Nevertheless, the demonstration aroused the anger of local residents. Lisa Gause told USA Today that she and her son were stopped at a red light when they saw the group taking a picture.
“Good God, what is this world for?” “What is Florida – where is America?” she asked. “We don’t want something like this to continue.”
Anna Eskamani, who represents parts of the Orlando area in the Florida House of Representatives, also called the depiction on Twitter “absolutely disgusting”.
“It’s absolutely disgusting to see the frequent presence of Nazis in Florida, and it’s even more disturbing when they hold up signs and flags signaling their support for the likes of Gov. DeSantis,” she told USA Today.
“Every person, regardless of their political ideology, should condemn this,” Eskamani continued. “Florida is a state built on diversity and we will always stand against bigotry and hatred.”
The Florida Holocaust Museum also issued a statement, saying, “It is a sad day for humanity when even Disney World — the ‘happiest place on earth’ — is not immune from blatant anti-Semitism.”
“The display of Nazi imagery is repugnant and this demonstration was clearly intended to offend and provoke,” it said. “No family should be confronted with threatening hate symbols, especially on vacation.”
It is unclear which group and party the protesters support.
has reached out to the DeSantis campaign, its office and Disney World for comment.
Walt Disney founded the Disney Brothers Studio in 1923. Rumors have circulated for years that he may have been anti-Semitic
Rumors have circulated for years that Walt Disney — the founder of Disney Brothers Studios, which has since grown into entertainment giant Disney Studios — was anti-Semitic due to stereotypes found in early cartoons.
But a 2015 documentary dismissed those claims, and several people who knew the man said they never believed he was anti-Semitic.
Richard Sherman, a composer who worked on Mary Poppins, said the claim was “absolutely absurd”.
He noted that he and his brother Robert, the children of Jewish immigrants, were treated like sons by Disney.
Also, historian and social critic Neal Gabler, author of “An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood,” said he researched the man extensively.
“I found no evidence other than the occasional anti-Semitism” common among non-Jews in the 20th century, he said.
Ron DeSantis and Disney have been at odds for the last year
Pictured here are families enjoying a day out at Walt Disney World in Orlando in April
More recently, the entertainment giant has been at war with the Florida governor, who, under pressure from staffers, decided last year to oppose the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which would ban the discussion of homosexuality in LGBTQ communities. Topics prohibits schools in younger children.
DeSantis subsequently stripped Disney of its special tax status — known as the Reedy Creek Oversight District — and gave its own Board of Governors the power to shut down rides at their theme parks.
He has also threatened to build a prison or rival theme park next door.
In response, Disney sued DeSantis and Florida’s Tourism Oversight Board for stripping him of control of Reedy Creek.
The company accused the Republican governor of “arming” his power to impose political penalties.
But Disney has suffered significant reputational damage since the feud began — a new poll voted the entertainment conglomerate the fifth most polarizing brand out of 100.
Analysts polled 16,310 Americans between March 13 and March 28 for their opinion of the top brands in the United States.
While Disney’s popularity increased among Democrats, it fell sharply among Republicans.
Among Democrats, the reputation quotient — which is calculated by asking people about factors such as vision and leadership, financial performance, social responsibility and work environment — rose to 80.3 out of 100 from 72.5 a year earlier.
Republicans’ reputation quotient fell 14 points from 75 to 61.
The widely divergent rating resulted in Disney being the fifth most polarizing brand out of 100, as measured by the gap between ratings from Republican and Democratic respondents.
Disney’s overall score was 70.9 out of a possible 100 — down from 73.4 in 2022.
“The lesson here is that when you divide, you’re subtracting,” said Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema.
“When you segment audiences, you end up drawing customers to your business.”
When asked if they were more positive about the company than they were a year ago, 44 percent of Democrats said they were, compared to just 21 percent of Republicans.
Almost half — 42 percent — of Republicans said their feelings toward Disney have become more negative over the past year, compared to 12 percent of Democrats.
More than a third of Republicans, or 35 percent, said Disney had become less authentic and more divisive — a sentiment shared by just 19 percent of Democrats.
When asked if the company is family-oriented, 63 percent of Democrats answered yes, but only 46 percent of Republicans agreed.