The mayor of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, said Wednesday that Kanye West was “not welcome,” after the music star known for his anti-Semitic rants announced a concert in June.
The 24-time Grammy winner has lost fans and business deals in recent years due to racist or anti-Semitic outbursts, and released a song titled “Heil Hitler” last May to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat in World War II.
The concert at the city’s Vélodrome stadium, scheduled for June 11 and whose box office is not yet open, is West’s only French date.
Socialist Mayor Benoit Payan said the 48-year-old hip-hop star was “not welcome” in the southern city.
Kanye West “not welcome” in Marseille, says French mayor
“I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and blatant Nazism,” he wrote in X.
Clauses in concert contract
But local state authorities can only ban a concert under strict conditions, if statements during the event risk constituting a criminal offense and if public order is threatened, according to France’s highest administrative court.
Organizing agency Mars 360 told AFP it had taken great care in including specific clauses in the concert contract “to ensure that no illegal comments are made during the concert and that French law is fully respected.”
Fabienne Bendayan, the right-wing candidate’s running mate in the municipal elections later this month and former regional head of the Jewish group CRIF, also questioned future performance.
“Someone who openly proclaims his admiration for Hitler and embraces Nazi ideas cannot set foot on the stage of a city whose soul is woven with diversity, memory and brotherhood,” he said in X.
West, who changed his name to Ye and battled bipolar disorder for years, said in January that the disorder sometimes led him to have “moments of disconnection” that resulted in poor judgment and reckless behavior.
In late 2023, West apologized to the Jewish people for saying “I love Nazis.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
