A concert by American rapper Kanye West, which he was supposed to perform on July 18 in Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, has been banned for public safety reasons, authorities said.
Kanye West concert banned in Italy
The district governor, Salvatore Angieri, said the decision was made based on requests from bodies including the local Jewish community.The statement issued on Friday evening said they “expressed their reservations” about the rapper’s appearance as part of the Pulse of Gaia festival.
Travis Scott Banned in Italy
Another concert by American rapper Travis Scott on July 17 was also cancelled.
Reason for ban
The governorate said, “The decision… was taken for reasons related to protecting public order and safety, given the close timing of the events and the large crowd expected within 24 hours.”“In the general assessment, the cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries and the perceived risks of counter-demonstrations also had their impact.”
Kanye West controversy
West, also known as Yee, sparked controversy with his statements and songs glorifying Adolf Hitler as well as anti-Semitic diatribes, which he blamed on his bipolar disorder.The scandal led to the cancellation of a series of concerts.
Last month, the UK government banned him from entering the country, and the festival he was scheduled to appear at in July was cancelled.He also had to cancel a concert scheduled in the southern French city of Marseille, while he was also banned from concerts in Poland and Switzerland.West performed in Istanbul on Saturday, and is scheduled to perform in the Netherlands on June 6 and 8, in Tirana on July 11, and in Prague on July 25.In January, he took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal in which he said he was “not a Nazi or an anti-Semite,” adding: “I love the Jewish people.”
