Kanye: Codacons asks to cancel the Reggio Emilia concert
The concert that Kanye West was due to take place on June 19th in Chorzow, Poland, in support of his latest album, “Bully” (read the review here), was canceled following government pressure regarding anti-Semitic statements made in the past by the Atlanta musician. The show’s organization says that the performance has been canceled “for formal and legal reasons”.
This decision came after the Polish Minister of Culture, Marta Cienkowskacondemned the rapper, arguing that his history of making offensive statements should prevent him from performing in a nation “scarred by the history of the Holocaust.” “We cannot pretend that this is just entertainment,” the Polish politician said. “We’re talking about an artist who has publicly made anti-Semitic statements, relativized crimes, and profited from the sale of swastika T-shirts. These are not ‘controversies’. This is a deliberate crossing of a line and the normalization of hatred.”
All this happens after Ye ha a concert scheduled in France has been postponed indefinitelystating that it was his decision. The day before Kanye’s statement, the French authorities had confirmed that they were evaluating possible measures to prevent him from entering the country due to his anti-Semitic past. This news came after cancellation of three Kanye West dates as headliner at Wireless Festival Londonfollowing the Government’s ban on entry to the UK.
His participation in the London festival had sparked strong controversy, even from the Prime Minister Keir Starmerwho said he was “deeply concerned that Kanye West had been booked to perform at Wireless despite his previous anti-Semitic statements and glorification of Nazism.” Several sponsors of the festival had severed ties with Wireless following Kanye’s participation, putting strong pressure on the organizers to take action.
West had apologized for his previous statements, following the controversy surrounding his participation in the Wireless Festival shortly before its cancellation. He addressed the criticism in January in a letter to the Wall Street Journal. “I have been following the debate on the Wireless Festival and I want to address it directly. My only goal is to come to London and present a show that brings change, unity, peace and love through music. I would be grateful for the opportunity to meet members of the UK Jewish community in person, to listen to them. I know that words are not enough: I must demonstrate change with actions. If you are open to it, I am here. With love.”
Melvin Benngeneral manager of Festival Republic, which co-organises the Wireless with Live Nation, spoke out, calling West’s anti-Semitic comments “abhorrent”, but urged people to “forgive”.
At the moment the concert of Kanye West scheduled for July 18 at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia it remains confirmed even if – yesterday’s news – Codacons sent a warning to the Prefect of the Emilian city asking for the concert to be stopped. This is what Codacons reports in its request: “The presence of the artist is currently at the center of a widespread and growing international controversy, determined by his public declarations and conduct, already the subject of strong institutional reactions. A participation that could generate tensions, protest demonstrations and potential situations of public disorder. A risk that appears concrete, current and predictable, in light of objective and converging elements: the international media outcry, the previous bans and postponements adopted in other European countries for reasons of public order, as well as the foreseeable mobilization of opposing groups on the occasion of an event of extraordinary importance and with a very high turnout, the precautionary principle is fully applied, which requires the administrative authority to intervene even in the presence of a potential risk, when primary assets such as public safety and security are involved. It cannot be tolerated that an event already considered problematic from the point of view of public order in other European countries is authorized in Italy in the absence of a rigorous preventive evaluation.
For these reasons the Codacons warned the Prefecture of Reggio Emilia to “order the immediate cancellation of the event in question, preventing the national territory from becoming the scene of critical issues already considered incompatible with the public good in other European systems. It is believed that Italy, in this historical moment marked by strong social and international tensions, does not need divisive and potentially destabilizing events, but responsible choices, based on the maximum protection of order and collective security”.
