Kanye West’s Italian concert has been canceled due to protests from war veterans who chastised him for supporting Hitler.
The American rapper was scheduled to play at the open-air arena in Reggio Emilia on Friday, and organizers had been in discussions with local authorities concerning the performance.
According to Mail Online, the concert was supposed to take place on October 20, but with 100,000 spectators expected and a train strike planned for the Italian network, the event was postponed.
Officials also considered that heavy rain is expected in the area on Friday evening, and that without shelter, the open-air site may turn like a mud bath.
‘Given the fact that a rail strike was planned for the same day, and that heavy weather was forecast, it was judged prudent to postpone the event,’ said a spokesperson for the Reggio Emilia prefecture.
Our goal is to protect everyone’s safety and security, and if there is a transportation difficulty, the event cannot take place securely, and because it is open air, the heavy rain expected would have also caused issues.
‘The organisers have been given an alternate date of October 27, and we are waiting to hear back from them to see if that is suitable.’
The new development comes after local veterans’ groups were outraged that the job was even being advertised due to West’s support for Adolf Hitler and Nazism.
‘Every human being has something of worth they bring to the table, particularly Hitler,’ West claimed in a shocking interview last year.
‘I adore Jews, but I also adore Nazis. There are many aspects of Hitler that I admire; I admire Hitler; I am a Nazi.’
‘It’s time to say enough to these idiots who believe they can say whatever they want,’ screamed Albertina Soliani, deputy president of the (ANPI) National Association of Italian Partisans.
‘A person can be a brilliant vocalist, but they are also assessed by what they say, and West has made some inhumane comments, and with what is going on in the world today, we cannot tolerate this event.
‘Every day, we are focused on carrying certain principles, which are liberty and democracy, and with this, we just have to start over.
‘In my opinion, he should stay at home; Reggio Emilia has always admired people who have fought for unwavering ideals, and we are on the side of the underprivileged, not those who preach hatred,’ says one resident.
Ermete Fiaccadori, ANPI regional president for Reggio Emilia, criticized West and said: ‘First of all let me just say that I hope this concert does not go ahead, this musician has a great following of youngsters, but his message is worrisome.
‘I’m stunned that he can’t understand what he’s saying, exhibiting a poor misconception of who Adolf Hitler was throughout history.
‘I am all for artistic freedom, but what Kanye West says and does astounds me.
‘As an organization, we completely condemn this concert and are deeply worried about the message it represents.
‘And, before anyone says that, this isn’t censorship because we’re all for liberty, but we’re talking about a concert that’s completely out of order.
‘Reggio has a long history of battling against Adolf Hitler’s views, and many people have died as a result.’
West, 46, has been in Italy since August with his Australian Italian wife Bianca Censori, 28, and is thought to be working on a new album in a Milan recording studio.
