Kanye West’s Italian Gig Will Push Through Despite Public Backlash
Italy does not love Kanye West, his wife Bianca Censori, or the controversies they sparked with their recent actions. Surprisingly, however, his not-so-secret concert was sold out and will push through even after war veterans staged protests against him for praising Adolf Hitler.
News about stagehands being busy building and setting up an open-air and out-of-town area near Reggio Emilio surfaced. It was all allegedly for Kanye (or Ye now that he had his name officially changed).
Trucks have been coming in and out of the RCF Arena near Bologna for days now. Last Thursday, it was revealed that a private jet also landed at the airstrip nearby while a waiting car with blacked-out windows was seen driving towards the venue. Onlookers believe that the vehicles carried Ye.
Moreover, the rooms in the hotel near the venue have all been booked for stagehands, stewards, and security personnel. Several chauffeur-driven cars, as well as mini-buses, were also reserved and blocked.
According to the prefect of Reggio Emilia, Maria Rita, details of the event will be discussed this Monday in a public safety cabinet meeting that will be held at the regional government office. They forecast that Ye’s performance will attract more or less 100,000 people.
As of date, there are still no ticket details. The team is looking into the possibility that the rapper’s performance, which is going to happen in the same venue where Harry Styles had his summer concert, can be a listening event that will then be streamed while Kanye performs on stage.
Maria Rita said, “It’s not my job to get involved in any controversy regarding this artist—my job is to ensure that the event is held safely and securely. I can assure you we will do that and undoubtedly need extra police reinforcements.”
The security will not just be for the artist and crowd control. There is also considerable anger and tension looming over the local veterans’ groups who are mad at Ye after the rapper praised Nazism and Adolf Hitler.
The statement that Ye released last year surprised many. It also triggered the ire of the veterans, people with family members who perished under the leader of Nazi Germany, and those who survived the Holocaust. In March 1944, just 40 miles from Reggio Emilia in Cervarolo, the Nazis butchered 24 people, including the village priest.
Recall that Ye mentioned, “Every human being has something of value they brought to the table, especially Hitler. I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis. There’s a lot of things that I love about Hitler, a lot of things, I like Hitler, I am a Nazi.”
Albertina Soliano, the current vice president of the National Association of Italian Partisans, reacted to Ye’s statement and upcoming performance by saying, “It’s time to say enough to these people who believe they can say what they want. In my opinion, he should stay at home. Reggio Emilia has always appreciated people who have fought for determined principles, and we are on the side of the oppressed, not those who preach hate.”
Ermete Fiaccadori, the regional president for Reggio Emilia, also blasted the rapper by saying, “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 history. I am all for artistic liberty, but what Kanye West says and does leave me shocked.”
