Kanye West’s antisemitic rhetoric
has caused more ruckus overseas as the plug was pulled on a music festival he was set to headline in Slovakia.
The
24-time Grammy winner
is facing even more backlash on the heels of the release of
his song “Heil Hitler.”
Just a week after Australia confirmed
the cancellation of West’s visa
, Slovakia’s
Rubicon Festival
has too been canceled after thousands signed a petition condemning the controversial rapper.
Branding West — now
formally known as Ye
— as “one of the world’s most famous antisemites,” the
online petition
garnered 7,000 signatures. The call to action,
endorsed by groups
including Peace for Ukraine and Cities for Democracy, described the rapper as someone who has “repeatedly and openly espoused the symbolism and ideology associated with the darkest period of modern world history.”
Along with outrage from fans, Slovak rap artists also reportedly began dropping out the festival, followed by one of its two organizers.
In response to the brewing backlash, the
Rubicon Festival called off next weekend’s event
, citing “unforeseen circumstances, including external pressure and logistical challenges.”
“This was not an easy decision,” organizers wrote on social media. “Due to media pressure and the withdrawal of several artists and partners, we were unable to deliver the festival at the standard of quality you deserve.”
Despite being disappointed by the cancellation, organizers added that they wanted to make it clear “there is no place on our soil for those who celebrate a perverse regime that has taken the lives of millions of people.”
Ye, who for years has
unleashed a barrage of antisemitic remarks
and denials of the Holocaust, released “
Heil Hitler
” in May. The track, which included portions of a speech given by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, was quickly pulled from Spotify, SoundCloud and other streaming platforms.
Along with
praising the murderous German Führer
on social media, Ye in February purchased a Super Bowl ad promoting his brand, Yeezy, which deferred customers to a site that only
sold white T-shirts featuring swastikas
.