“The European Jewish Congress (EJC), which represents Jewish communities across Europe, has issued a statement calling on the Portuguese authorities to cancel Kanye West’s concert at the Estádio do Algarve.
Expressing its support for the Jewish Community of Lisbon, which in early May urged the municipalities of Faro and Loulé not to provide public support for the concert, the EJC stated that the call for its cancellation “is not a matter of artistic freedom, but rather a question of whether public institutions, public venues and public bodies should associate themselves with an individual who has repeatedly expressed hatred towards Jews and admiration for a regime responsible for the deaths of millions”.
“At a time when antisemitism is rising across Europe, and only days after the Lisbon Synagogue was targeted in an antisemitic act of vandalism, allowing this event to proceed without a clear response sends a troubling message. Jewish communities should not be left wondering whether their concerns are being heard,” the statement continued.
“We call on all authorities, public bodies and organisers to cancel this event and take the appropriate measures to ensure that antisemitism, the glorification of Nazism and hatred are not rewarded with public platforms, legitimacy or support.”
At issue are the numerous antisemitic statements made by Kanye West over recent years, including remarks expressing “admiration” for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, as well as the release of a track entitled Heil Hitler. In January this year, the rapper sought to apologise for those comments, attributing them to his bipolar disorder.
According to the Brussels-based EJC, Portugal “should follow the example” of countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Poland, Switzerland and Italy, where concerts scheduled by Kanye West were cancelled or postponed. Last Saturday, the musician performed in Istanbul, Turkey, before an audience of several thousand people.
The concert is scheduled to take place on 7 August and is being organised by Raya Culture. In April, BLITZ contacted the Ministry of Internal Administration, which stated that it was “monitoring the situation”. “Should the competent authorities carry out a risk assessment and conclude that the arrival and performance of this artist constitute a danger or threat at national level, then appropriate measures will have to be taken accordingly,” the ministry added. Such an assessment would be conducted by the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Internal Security System (SSI).
For its part, Faro City Council has stated that it is awaiting a position — or the absence of one — from the Government. “Our contract with the promoter is to open the venue for a concert to take place. We will always be dependent on the Government’s response when making that decision.”
