Report: France 'looks to ban Kanye from performing' amid UK ban
France is seeking to ban Kanye West from performing in Marseille after backlash over his history of antisemitic remarks. The American singer is scheduled to perform a concert at Marseille's Velodrome stadium on June 11, but his upcoming show has sparked backlash in France. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez is 'highly determined' and is exploring 'all options' to ban the rapper's only concert in France this summer, a source close to the minister told AFP. Earlier this year, the city's socialist mayor Benoît Payan declared the 'Gold Digger' hitmaker was 'not welcome' in Marseille, stating on social media: 'I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism.' Ye faces growing backlash as Europe shuts doorsThe rapper, who changed his name to Ye in 2021, drew criticism last year after he released a song called 'Heil Hitler' and advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website.France's desire to block West from performing in Marseille comes after he was barred from entering the UK, where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July. Festival organisers cancelled the three-day outdoor event as a result of the travel ban and said those who had bought tickets would get refunds.West had applied for an electronic travel authorisation to visit the UK, but it was blocked by the government because his presence in the country would not be 'conducive to the public good.''Kanye West should never have been invited to headline Wireless,' Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement posted on social media. 'This government stands firmly with the Jewish community, and we will not stop in our fight to confront and defeat the poison of antisemitism. We will always take the action necessary to protect the public and uphold our values.' Pressure forces cancelation of Kanye’s first UK shows in decadeThe rapper had been expected to play his first UK dates for more than a decade in front of around 150,000 revellers over three nights, July 10-12, at the Wireless Festival, in London's Finsbury Park. Other acts for the festival had not yet been announced.The event's organisers had been under mounting pressure from sponsors and politicians to cancel the gigs by the rapper, who has drawn widespread condemnation for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.The 48-year-old apologised in January with a letter, published as a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal.He said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into 'a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behaviour that destroyed my life.' UK defends Kanye ban as sponsors pull out of festivalHealth Secretary Wes Streeting said Ye's actions amounted to a 'pattern of behaviour', citing the song and merchandise, and accused him of using mental health as an excuse.Festival Republic managing director Melvin Benn had previously said Ye's comments were 'abhorrent' but defended the booking, arguing against denying artists second chances.Jewish groups welcomed the visa decision. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said meaningful engagement would require genuine remorse, while the Jewish Leadership Council had condemned the booking amid a rise in antisemitic attacks.West has not performed in Britain since headlining Glastonbury in 2015. Sponsors including Diageo, Pepsi and Anheuser‑Busch InBev withdrew support for Wireless, while PayPal said its branding would not appear in future Wireless promotion material. Wireless Festival canceled as Kanye is blocked from UKWireless Festival has been cancelled after Kanye West was blocked from travelling to the UK to headline it.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood banned the rapper from entering Britain to perform at the festival in July on the grounds his presence would 'not be conducive to the public good'.Sir Keir Starmer insisted he 'should never have been invited to headline Wireless' and said he 'stands firmly with the Jewish community' against anti-Semitism.Calls had been growing for West to be removed from the line up after a string of anti-Semitic outbursts, including releasing a song called Heil Hitler and posing in a swastika t-shirt. But Nigel Farage today spoke out against calls to bar him from Britain, calling it a 'slippery slope'.He said: 'I know he said some dreadful things. If people thought he was genuinely going to come into Britain and urge attacks on the Jewish community, then there would be full grounds for stopping it. If it's just saying things we find objectionable that I think bans are a slippery slope.'Scotland's First Minister John Swinney also backed calls to allow West to perform, saying 'we live in a free country' and we should 'let people enjoy the music they want to listen to'.The 48-year-old applied for an Electronic Travel Authorisation yesterday, but he was denied entry to the UK. As a result, organisers have cancelled the entire event, saying refunds would be issued to all ticketholders. 'As with every Wireless Festival, multiple stakeholders were consulted in advance of booking YE and no concerns were highlighted at the time,' a spokesman said.'Antisemitism in all its forms is abhorrent, and we recognise the real and personal impact these issues have had. As YE said today, he acknowledges that words alone are not enough, and in spite of this still hopes to be given the opportunity to begin a conversation with the Jewish community in the UK.'West had said he wanted to show 'change through his actions' and meet with Jews in London ahead of the performance in Finsbury Park - which would have been his first in the UK in 11 years.He joins the likes of Eva Vlaardingerbroek - a Dutch anti-immigration influencer who promoted the 'great replacement' theory - in being refused permission to travel to the UK.Pre-sale for Wireless Festival went live at midday today and general sale tickets were due out tomorrow. No other acts had been confirmed.Read the full story
