Italian officials postponed Kanye West’s controversial performance at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia. Weather concerns and a train strike disrupted plans for the event, which was scheduled for Friday (October 20).
“Given the fact that a rail strike was planned the same day and that heavy rain is due, it was thought prudent to postpone the event,” a spokesperson for the Reggio Emilia prefecture told the Daily Mail. “Our aim [is] to ensure the safety and security of all and if there is a transport issue, then the concert cannot go ahead safely. And as it is open air, the heavy rain forecast would have also created problems. The organizers have been given an alternative date of October 27, and we are waiting to hear back if it is acceptable to them.”
The postponement followed criticism from Italian war veterans, who called out officials for allowing Kanye to perform in Reggio Emilia. National Association of Italian Partisans members expressed outrage over Ye’s past comments about Adolf Hitler. The rapper/producer said he “saw good things about Hitler” in a 2022 interview.
“I hope this concert does not go ahead,” Reggio Emilia’s ANPI regional president Ermete Fiaccadori said. “This artist has a large following of youngsters, but his message is disquieting. I’m speechless that he cannot understand what he Is saying, broadcasting a gross misunderstanding of what Adolf Hitler was in the course of history. I am all for artistic liberty but what Kanye West says and does leave me shocked. As an organization, we condemn this concert totally and we are very concerned about what message it conveys.”
He added, “And before anyone says it, this isn’t censorship because we are all in favor of liberty, but we are talking about a concert that is totally out of order. Reggio has a long history of fighting against the ideas of Adolf Hitler and many lost their lives as a result.”
Listen to the remarks that upset Italian war veterans below.