Kanye West’s controversial gig in Italy set for this week has been postponed due to a train strike, weather conditions, and protests from critics who have spoken out against the music artist for his praise of Adolf Hitler.
The concert, which was scheduled to take place on October 20 at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, has been pushed back to October 27.
A spokesperson for the Reggio Emilia prefecture told Daily Mail that the decision to postpone the event was made “in order to ensure the safety and security of all.”
“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,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson also added that the organizers of the concert had been given an alternative date of October 27, but that they were still waiting to hear back from them to confirm whether or not they would be able to reschedule for that date.
The postponement of the concert comes after several local veterans’ groups representing former partisans who fought against the Nazis and Hitler protested West’s scheduled performance.
The groups, including the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), condemned West’s praise of Hitler as “inhumane” and said that the concert should not be allowed to go ahead.
“First of all let me just say that I hope this concert does not go ahead, this artist has a large following of youngsters, but his message is disquieting,” Ermete Fiaccadori, ANPI regional president for Reggio Emilia, said in a statement.
“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.”
It is unclear whether or not West’s concert will go ahead on its rescheduled date of October 27. However, the postponement of the concert is a victory for those who have spoken out against West’s controversial views.
It would end up being the biggest plot twist in history of mankind if it ultimately turned out that Hitler and Kanye west were the good guys?? nah 2023 is wild fr!! 😂 https://t.co/CkwxZzVZmn
— LFC_First (@lfc4life776) October 18, 2023