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

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

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

It had been rescheduled for next Friday at the same venue – where Harry Styles played to more than 80,000 last August – but has now been canceled again as officials blamed “security and organizational” issues.

A huge complex 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 choice but to cancel the event. These things take a lot of organization, you need to have a health plan, a traffic plan and an idea of ​​how tickets are sold and figures.

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

Ran into trouble: It was rescheduled for this Friday at the same location, but has now been canceled again as officials blamed it on ‘security and organizational’ issues

‘You have to have all these things in order because you have to guarantee the safety of those present and as a city we were ready for it, but we just hadn’t heard anything from the organizers so for safety reasons it had to have been canceled like that – the concert would have take place on Friday and we had not heard anything by Monday.’

The proposed concert had angered many locals – especially given Kanye’s previous anti-Semitic comments and his praise for Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

In a shocking interview last year, Kanye said, “Every person has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.

‘I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis. There are a lot of things I like about Hitler, a lot of things: I love Hitler, I’m a Nazi.”

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

Albertina Soliani, vice-president of the National Association of Italian Partisans (ANPI), stormed: ‘It is time to say enough to these people who think they can say whatever they want.

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

‘Every day we are focused on promoting certain values, namely freedom and democracy, and then we just have to start from the beginning again.

Cancelled: A huge set 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 among many locals – especially given Kanye’s previous anti-Semitic 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 valued people who have fought for firm principles and we stand with the oppressed and not with those who preach hatred.’

Ermete Fiaccadori, ANPI regional president for Reggio Emilia, also slammed Kanye, saying: “First of all, let me say that I hope this concert doesn’t happen. This artist has a large following among young people, but his message is disturbing.

‘I am speechless that he cannot understand what he is saying, which conveys a gross misunderstanding of what Adolf Hitler was throughout history.

“I’m all for artistic freedom, but what Kanye West says and does leaves me shocked. As an organization we strongly condemn this concert and are very concerned about the message it conveys.

‘And before anyone says it: this is not censorship because we are all for freedom, but we are talking about a concert that is completely 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 that the concert was canceled after Ty Dolla $ign, who has collaborated with Kanye, announced on social media a “multi-stadium listening event” for November 3.

The simple Instagram announcement — the only post on Ty’s otherwise scrubbed account — features a black background with white text featuring the yen “Y” symbol with a dollar sign and the words “multistadium listening event November 3.” ‘

Rumors: There is speculation that the concert was canceled after Ty Dolla $ign, who has collaborated with Kanye, announced on social media a ‘multi-stadium listening event’ for November 3

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

Music forums suggested that if the concert was not given the green light, it would become 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 in a recording studio in Milan.

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

Donda – Kanye’s tenth album – is named after his mother Donda C west, who died in 2007 at the age of just 58.

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

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

That concert made headlines after 60 people required hospital treatment when pepper spray was released, while locals feared an earthquake as jumping fans caused intense tremors of a magnitude of 1.3.