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Kanye West performs in Netherlands amid antisemitism protests

US rapper Ye performs on stage at the GelreDome venue in Arnhem, Netherlands, on June 6, 2026. (AFP Photo)
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US rapper Ye performs on stage at the GelreDome venue in Arnhem, Netherlands, on June 6, 2026. (AFP Photo)
June 07, 2026 11:25 AM GMT+03:00

West, known as Ye, performed at the Gelredome stadium in Arnhem before a crowd of 40,000.

The concert went ahead despite calls for cancellation and a small demonstration by the Jewish organization CIDI (Centrum Informatie en Documentatie Israel), which displayed placards bearing antisemitic quotations attributed to the artist.

A demonstrator installs banners reading "WARNING - The artist you are about to see previously stated: 'I like Hitler' We thought you should know this." (R) and "WARNING - The artist you are about to see sold T-shirts with this print on their webshop - We thought you should know this." and depicting the image of a swastika during a protest outside the GelreDome venue, in Arnhem, Netherlands on June 6, 2026. (AFP Photo)
A demonstrator installs banners reading "WARNING - The artist you are about to see previously stated: 'I like Hitler' We thought you should know this." (R) and "WARNING - The artist you are about to see sold T-shirts with this print on their webshop - We thought you should know this." and depicting the image of a swastika during a protest outside the GelreDome venue, in Arnhem, Netherlands on June 6, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Jew-hatred spread widely

CIDI director Naomi Mestrum said the organization was not satisfied with West's public response to the controversy.

'I know that his fans are probably coming for the music, but we cannot look away from the Jew-hatred that he has spread widely in the past,' she said.

'If you really want to make amends, you have to (make) more than just an apology on Twitter.'

An Amsterdam court had previously ruled that the shows did not pose a threat to public order, allowing the concerts to proceed.

US rapper Ye performs on stage at the GelreDome venue in Arnhem, Netherlands, on June 6, 2026. (AFP Photo)
US rapper Ye performs on stage at the GelreDome venue in Arnhem, Netherlands, on June 6, 2026. (AFP Photo)

I really focus on the music

Some fans outside the venue said they chose to separate the artist's public statements from his music. 'I'm not supporting all of those things he said, like it's really controversial,' said Loes Snyers, a 20-year-old Belgian student.

'But for me, I really don't care about the backlash of all the bad stuff artists do; I really focus on the music.'

West has denied being antisemitic, attributing remarks he made, including comments glorifying Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and a song titled 'Heil Hitler,' to his bipolar disorder.

Concerts canceled across Europe

West's European tour has faced significant disruption. Concerts were canceled in the United Kingdom, France, Poland, and Italy.

Mestrum noted that other countries had 'drawn a moral line' in rejecting the artist. 'We are not happy with the fact that he gets such a huge stage here in the Netherlands, where other countries around us have drawn a moral line and rejected him,' she said.

West is scheduled to perform in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on July 11 and in Prague on July 25.

June 07, 2026 11:25 AM GMT+03:00
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