The UK government has blocked Kanye West’s permission to travel to the UK, following controversy over his planned headline set at this summer’s Wireless Festival in London.
The Home Office told the BBC the rapper made an application to travel to the UK yesterday via an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
It said the decision to refuse permission was made on the grounds that his presence would not be conducive to the public good.
Application rejected by Home Office
For almost half a decade, West has caused outrage for a string of antisemitic, racist, and pro-Nazi comments.
The Wireless festival has not yet publicly responded to the news. BBC News has asked its representatives for comment.
Rapper offers to meet Jewish community
West said earlier on Tuesday he “would be grateful” to meet members of the Jewish community in the UK after controversy over his booking.
In a statement, the rapper, now known as Ye, said he had been “following the conversation around Wireless”, and offered to meet representatives of the community in person “to listen”.
“I know words aren’t enough,” added the star, who has a history of making antisemitic comments. “I’ll have to show change through my actions. If you’re open, I’m here.”
Conditions set by Jewish leaders
In a statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was “willing” to meet the rapper, on the condition that he pulls out of his planned performances at Wireless.
“The Jewish community will want to see a genuine remorse and change before believing that the appropriate place to test this sincerity is on the main stage at the Wireless Festival,” said the Board’s president, Phil Rosenberg.
Festival decision overtaken by government
That decision has now been taken out of West’s hands, and those of Festival Republic, the company behind Wireless, as well as other major UK festivals including Reading and Leeds.
Its managing director, Melvin Benn, had hinted that West’s appearance may be in jeopardy when speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday morning.
“It may be that the Home Secretary does rescind his visa… if she does, the issue is over.”
Debate over behaviour and mental health
Benn, who is a major UK music industry figure and event promoter, agreed that West’s past behaviour was “abhorrent” and “disgusting”.
But the promoter highlighted the role that the star’s mental health may have played, and asked for understanding.
“Mental health is not something that disappears overnight,” Benn said.
“People suffer psychotic behaviour, suffer bipolar behaviour, for many, many years… And I think people are forgetting that.”
Criticism from community groups
But Jewish groups have criticised Benn’s support for the star.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said that the Wireless boss’s statement “will not reassure many within the Jewish or other communities”.
In a statement, the board added: “It has been less than a year since Kanye West released a song entitled Heil Hitler, the culmination of three years of appalling antisemitism,” he said in a statement.
“He also made a number of deeply offensive comments about the Black community, saying that the 400-year experience of slavery was ‘like a choice’.”
“We are willing to meet Kanye West as part of his journey of healing, but only after he agrees not to play the Wireless Festival this year.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism had also suggested West should pull out of the event.
Source: BBC
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