Italy bans Kanye West and Travis Scott concerts over security concerns

Italian authorities have barred Kanye West and Travis Scott concerts from going ahead, citing public order and security concerns.Prefect Salvatore Angieri announced on Friday that the two events, due to take place in the northern city of Reggio Emilia in July, would not take place, following a request from the local Jewish community to cancel West's gig.The community's leader Nicoletta Uzzielli had urged local official to replace the show with a performance that would bring "music back to the forefront as a universally unifying force".West has caused outrage for a string of antisemitic, racist and pro-Nazi comments that recently led to him being banned from entering the UK.Now known as Ye, the US rapper had been due to perform alongside Scott and other artists including The Chainsmokers, Rita Ora and Swedish House Mafia.The regional prefecture said in a statement that several factors had weighed on its decision, including the "cancellation of previous concerts by the American rapper in other countries and the real risk of counter-demonstrations".It said that the closeness of the two events, scheduled for 17 and 18 July at Reggio Emilia's RFC Arena, and the large crowds they were expected to attract was a further factor in the decision.Scott faced intense scrutiny after 10 people, aged nine to 27, died during his Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, in 2021.