Ye's European tour uncertain as more countries cancel concerts
What's the story
Rapper Kanye West or Ye's upcoming European tour is facing uncertainty as more countries cancel or postpone his concerts due to his past antisemitic remarks. The latest cancellations are from Switzerland and Poland, where authorities have expressed concerns over the rapper's controversial statements. FC Basel, a Swiss football club that organizes events at St Jakob-Park stadium, has decided not to host Ye's concert in June after reviewing a request for his performance there.
Legal reasons
Poland also cancels Ye's concert
Poland's Silesian Stadium in Chorzów has also canceled Ye's scheduled concert on June 19. The decision comes after the Polish culture ministry announced plans to bar Ye from performing in the country due to his "promotion of nazism," which was deemed a "manifest contradiction with Poland's values." The venue director, Adam Strzyzewski, cited "formal and legal reasons" for the cancellation, per The Guardian.
Official statement
Poland's culture minister earlier condemned Ye
Poland's culture minister, Marta Cienkowska, earlier condemned Ye as he "openly declares he loves Hitler," promoting Nazi ideology, and profiting from selling T-shirts with swastikas. She stressed that in a country with a Holocaust history, such actions can't be dismissed as mere entertainment. Cienkowska also stated that Warsaw had the means to prevent the entry of undesirable individuals and would do so if necessary.
Artist's history
Controversial statements and actions
Ye (who legally changed his name from West recently) has a history of making controversial statements and actions. He has previously said, "I love Nazis," praised Adolf Hitler, sold T-shirts with swastikas on his website, and released a track titled Heil Hitler last year. His antisemitic behavior was attributed to a "manic episode" caused by his bipolar-1 disorder. Despite these controversies, Ye has claimed he is not a Nazi or an antisemite and loves Jewish people.
Tour status
Remaining stops on Ye's European tour
The only remaining stops on Ye's announced European tour are Turkey, the Netherlands, Italy, Madrid, and Portugal. Earlier this month, Britain also barred Ye from traveling there to headline London's Wireless festival. This led to the cancellation of the entire festival where he was set to perform over three nights in July. In January, he took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal to declare "I am not a Nazi or an antisemite" and "I love Jewish people."