Calls to Cancel Ye's Hellwat Festival Slot in Italy

Kanye West, performing as Ye, faces growing calls to cancel his headline slot at Italy's Hellwat Festival on July 18 amid backlash over his past antisemitic remarks, following the axing of several other European shows.

The rapper is scheduled to perform at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, a northern Italian city, where organizers report 68,000 tickets sold for the event at the 103,000-capacity venue. Local Jewish community members, antifascist groups, trade unions and politicians have demanded the gig's cancellation, citing West's history of offensive statements. Previous concerts were scrapped in the United Kingdom, where authorities denied him entry, preventing his Wireless Festival appearances; in France, where a Marseille show was effectively blocked; and in Poland and Switzerland.

Pina Picierno, vice president of the European Parliament and a senior member of Italy's Democratic Party, urged government intervention. "The United Kingdom denied the visa. France effectively prevented the Marseille concert," she told La Gazzetta di Reggio. "Italy, meanwhile, is just staying idle with 68,000 tickets sold, as if nothing had happened."

Rosamaria Papaleo, a representative of the...