Kanye West’s controversial Italian gig has been postponed following protests from war veterans who slammed him for praising Hitler
Controversial rapper Kanye West’s Italian gig has been postponed due to a train strike and bad weather, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.
West was due to perform at the open-air venue in Reggio Emilia on Friday and organisers had been in talks with local authorities about the gig all last week.
Initially it had been due to take place on October 20 but with 100,000 fans expected and a rail strike planned for the Italian network it was decided to postpone the event
Officials also took into account that heavy rain is forecast in the area on Friday evening and with no shelter, the open-air venue risked becoming a mud bath.
A spokesperson for the Reggio Emilia prefecture said:’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.
Our aim to ensure the safety and security of all and if there is a transport issue then the concert cannot go ahead safely and as it is open air the heavy rain forecast would have also created problems.
‘The organisers have been given an alternative date of October 27 and we are waiting to hear back if it is acceptable to them.’
Security is expected to be tight as MailOnline highlighted how local veterans’ groups were angry the gig was even being touted because of West’s praise for Adolf Hitler and Nazism.
In a shock interview last year West said: ’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 Soliani, vice president of (ANPI) National Association of Italian Partisans, stormed: ’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.
‘We are focused every day with carrying certain values, which are liberty and democracy and then with this we just have to start again from the beginning.
