Kanye West‘s purported plans for a concert in Italy have ruffled feathers, particularly among local war veterans who are deeply disturbed by his previous remarks praising Hitler and the Nazis.
The rapper is reportedly engaged in confidential discussions to stage a concert with a substantial event setup at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, as reported by the Daily Mail. Although no definitive arrangements have been made, it has circulated in the town that an estimated 80,000 fans may gather for the event, sparking ire among some Italian war veterans who actively fought against the Nazis, Hitler, and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini during World War 2.
These veterans are drawing attention to West’s public endorsements of Hitler and the Nazi ideology, deeming his ‘political stance as intolerable.’
In an interview with Alex Jones, West said, “I see good things about Hitler … Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.”
He also doubled down on his antisemitism in a separate interview with Piers Morgan, blaming Jews in the music industry for his ugly feelings toward them.
Local war veterans have condemned West’s remarks and urged the city to cancel the concert.
Albertina Soliani, vice president of the National Association of Italian Partisans, said, “It’s time to say enough to these people who believe they can say what they want.”
“Someone can be a fantastic singer but then they are also judged by what they say, and West has made some inhumane declarations and with what’s happening in the world today we cannot accept this concert.”
Ermete Fiaccadori, ANPI regional president for Reggio Emilia, added, “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.”
“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 organisation we condemn this concert totally and we are very concerned about what message it conveys. And before anyone says it, this isn’t censorship because we are all in favour 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.”
It is unclear whether Kanye West’s planned concert in Reggio Emilia, Italy, will go ahead. The 46-year-old rapper has been in Italy since August with alleged wife Bianca Censori, 28, and is reportedly working on a new album at a recording studio in Milan.
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