EXCLUSIVE: Kanye West’s Italian concert is cancelled for ‘safety reasons’ following local protests over rapper’s controversial comments praising Hitler

Kanye West’s gig in Italy has been cancelled and is unlikely to go ahead this year, MailOnline can reveal. 

The controversial rapper, 46, had been due to perform last week at the RCF Arena near Reggio Emilia, but the gig was postponed due to bad weather and a train strike.

It had been rescheduled for this Friday at the same venue – where Harry Styles played to more than 80,000 last August – but has now been cancelled again with officials blaming ‘security and organisational’ issues.

A huge set that had been built at the site earlier this month is now being dismantled and a convoy of trucks was seen leaving the area.

Local prefect Maria Rita Cocciufa said: ’We had no option but to cancel the event. These things take a lot of organising, you have to have a health plan, traffic plan and some idea of how tickets are being sold and numbers.

EXCLUSIVE: Kanye West ’s gig in Italy has been cancelled and is unlikely to go ahead this year, MailOnline can reveal

Delay: The controversial rapper, 46, had been due to perform last week at the RCF Arena near Reggio Emilia, but the gig was postponed due to bad weather and a train strike  

Ran into trouble: It had been rescheduled for this Friday at the same venue but has now been cancelled again with officials blaming ‘security and organisational’ issues

‘You have to have all these things in place because you have to guarantee the safety and security of the people attending and as a city, we were ready but we just hadn’t heard anything from the organisers so for safety reasons it had to be cancelled – the concert was due to take place Friday and on Monday we had still heard nothing.’

The proposed concert had sparked anger with many locals – particularly given Kanye’s previous antisemitic comments and his praise for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

In a shock interview last year, Kanye said:’Every human being has something of value they brought to the table, especially Hitler.

‘I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis. There’s a lot of things that I love about Hitler, a lot of things, I like Hitler, I am a Nazi.’

Veterans groups and also women’s rights organisations had blasted local authorities for agreeing to the gig which had been expected to attract more than 100,000 and was promoted by Milan based Vivo Concerti.

Albertina Soliani, vice president of (ANPI) National Association of Italian Partisans, stormed: ’It’s time to say enough to these people who believe they can say what they want.

‘Someone can be a fantastic singer but then they are also judged by what they say, and West has made some inhumane declarations and with what’s happening in the world today we cannot accept this concert.

‘We are focused every day with carrying certain values, which are liberty and democracy and then with this we just have to start again from the beginning.

Cancelled: A huge set that had been built at the site earlier this month is now being dismantled and a convoy of trucks was seen leaving the area 

Controversy: The proposed concert had sparked anger with many locals – particularly given Kanye’s previous antisemitic comments and his praise for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler (Kanye pictured in Milan last month) 

‘In my opinion he should stay at home, Reggio Emilia has always appreciated people who have fought for determine principles and we are on the side of the oppressed and not those who preach hate.’

Ermete Fiaccadori, ANPI regional president for Reggio Emilia, blasted Kanye too and said: ’First of all let me just say that I hope this concert does not go ahead, this artist has a large following of youngsters, but his message is disquieting.

‘I’m speechless that he cannot understand what he Is saying, broadcasting a gross misunderstanding of what Adolf Hitler was in the course of history.

‘I am all for artistic liberty but what Kanye West says and does leave me shocked. As an organisation we condemn this concert totally and we are very concerned about what message it conveys.

‘And before anyone says it, this isn’t censorship because we are all in favour of liberty, but we are talking about a concert that is totally out of order.

‘Reggio has a long history of fighting against the ideas of Adolf Hitler, and many lost their lives as a result.’

There is speculation the concert was cancelled after Ty Dolla $ign who has worked with Kanye announced on social media a ‘multi stadium listening event’ for November 3.

The simple announcement on Instagram — the lone post on Ty’s otherwise-wiped-clean account — has a black background with white text that shows the yen “Y” symbol with a dollar-sign symbol and the words ‘multi stadium listening event November 3rd.’

Rumours: There is speculation the concert was cancelled after Ty Dolla $ign who has worked with Kanye announced on social media a ‘multi stadium listening event’ for November 3

New music: Kanye has been in Italy with his new ‘wife’ Bianca Censori, 28, since August and is said to be working on a new album at a recording studio in Milan 

Music forums suggested the concert if not given the go ahead will be a ‘listening event’ where instead of performing in front of a live audience it would be streamed online. 

Kanye has been in Italy with his new ‘wife’ Bianca Censori, 28, since August and is said to be working on a new album at a recording studio in Milan.

Last year, Kanye brought out an album called Donda which was named after his mother, and he is said to be in Italy working on the follow up.

Donda – which was Kanye’s 10th album – was named after his mother Donda C west who died in 2007 aged just 58.

Kanye last performed live in Italy in August when he appeared before 60,000 fans at a Travs Scott gig in Rome – and it was his first appearance since making a stream of anti-Semitic comments.

Dressed all in black and barefoot Kanye sang ‘Praise God’ from Donda as well as his 2007 anthem ‘Can’t Tell Me Nothing’.

That concert hit the headlines after 60 people needed hospital treatment when pepper spray was let off, while locals feared an earthquake as jumping fans triggered intense vibrations registering 1.3 magnitude.

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