San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones called for the cancellation of a July 4 concert by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, scheduled at the Alamodome. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody also released statements denouncing Ye's previous comments.
Sakai referenced Ye's past statements, saying, "I do not condone the hateful speech and antisemitic messages by rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye." He added, "These hateful words and actions have no place here and we must call it out." Moody stated, "Kanye West has the right to free speech, but I have an obligation to denounce his outrageous, hate-filled rants." He further stated, "We should never provide a public platform to, or allow the use of public property by, a Holocaust denier and well-known antisemite like Kanye West."
Ye is scheduled to perform a concert on July 4 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Approximately 50,000 tickets for the concert had been sold as of Monday, June 22. The City of San Antonio also expects more than 60,000 people to attend the concert. The city owns and operates the Alamodome.
Of the tickets sold, 14,180 were purchased by Bexar County residents, 23,345 from other Texas counties, 15,485 from outside Texas, and 195 international sales. Live Nation stated it neither booked nor promoted the July 4 performance; however, the performance is listed on its website, and tickets are being sold through Ticketmaster.
Ye stated in a 2022 social media post, "I'm going death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE." He also released a song titled "Heil Hitler." In January, Ye published a full-page letter in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for previous behavior and attributing it to a brain injury and bipolar disorder. In that letter, he stated he is not a Nazi nor an antisemite. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott asked the Tampa Sports Authority to reconsider holding a concert, arguing that taxpayer funds would be used to give Ye a platform.
Jones, Moody, and state Sen. Jose Menendez will attend a news conference on Tuesday with the Jewish Federation of San Antonio to further advocate for the concert's cancellation. Jones said, "If we wanted to cancel this, the council would have to take a public action, asking the city manager to do just that, so a public vote." Alamodome staff reviews all events using factors including public demand, expected economic impact, facility revenue, hotel bookings, and the goal of bringing a wide range of events to San Antonio.
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