Topline
Poland’s culture minister Marta Cienkowska criticized Kanye West’s decision to add a Poland date to his European tour, calling it “unacceptable” as she cited the country’s history and his past antisemitism.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 22: Kanye West is seen at ‘DONDA by Kanye West’ listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on July 22, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Music Group)
Getty Images for Universal Music GroupKey Facts
Cienkowska said on X that Kanye West has publicly expressed antisemitic views and profited from controversial merchandise, arguing he should not be given a platform.
She added that artistic freedom does not justify amplifying hate and emphasized that culture should not be a space where such rhetoric is spread.
West previously postponed his France tour date on April 14 following backlash from Benoît Payan, the mayor of Marseille, who said he would not allow the city to serve as a showcase that promotes Nazism.
The Poland concert is scheduled for June 19 in Chorzów at the Silesian Stadium and, as of Friday, is still set to take place.
Key Background
West is set to launch his European tour on May 23 in New Delhi in support of his new album Bully, which is currently No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The tour rollout has faced mounting scrutiny in recent weeks. After West was announced as a headliner for the Wireless Festival and was subsequently blocked from entering the U.K., officials in other European countries, including France, began raising concerns about hosting his performances due to his past antisemitic comments. Most recently, West postponed his France stop indefinitely, writing on X that the show would be delayed “until further notice” and that he would see [his] fans at the top of the globe. Shortly after, a Poland date was added to his official tour schedule. His upcoming tour will make stops in New Delhi, Istanbul, Arnhem, Reggio Emilia, Madrid and in Algarve. No other tour stops have been publicly canceled.
Tangent
Chorzów holds deep historical significance as one of the first towns invaded by German forces at the outset of World War II in September 1939. Its location in southern Poland, near the German border, made it strategically vulnerable and an early target during the invasion. The swift occupation of Chorzów marked the beginning of a broader campaign that would engulf the country and ultimately lead to the atrocities of the Holocaust.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com