A judge in Amsterdam has rejected an attempt by a Jewish organization to prevent rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, from performing two upcoming concerts, ruling they do not pose a threat to public order.
The Central Jewish Council filed an emergency lawsuit, citing Ye’s history of antisemitic remarks, including admiration for Adolf Hitler and the sale of swastika-emblazoned merchandise.
Despite widespread controversy surrounding the artist, the Amsterdam District Court found no grounds to bar the scheduled performances on June 6 and 8.
“There are no indications that West’s presence in the coming days will lead to concrete public order dangers,” the court stated.
The Central Jewish Council expressed disappointment with the ruling. “The feeling we are getting is that it is okay if you are antisemitic,” Chanan Hertzberger, the organization’s chair, told The Associated Press.
Lawmakers in the Netherlands supported a motion to bar Ye from entering the country but the country’s immigration minister said there was no legal basis for such a move. Ye’s remarks were “reprehensible” but there was “no reason to bar him,” Bart van den Brink told journalists last week.
The 48-year-old was set to perform his first European dates in more than a decade. In April, he was barred from entering the U.K. over his remarks, setting off a series of cancellations. Shows in Italy and Poland have been scrapped.
More than 100,000 fans turned out in Istanbul on Saturday evening to watch Ye’s first performance in Turkey.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Concert organizers say 70,000 tickets have been sold for the two upcoming shows at the Gelredome in the eastern Dutch city of Arnhem.
Ye apologized in January through a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal, stating that his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”