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Petition launched to stop Kanye West appearing at Slovakian festival

The rapper is booked to headline the Rubicon festival in Bratislava, which protesters have called ‘a debasement of all victims of the Nazi regime’

More than 3,500 people have signed the petition, endorsed by representatives from organisations such as Peace for Ukraine and Cities for Democracy, calling for West’s removal from the bill, accusing him of “repeatedly and openly adhering to symbols and [an] ideology connected with the darkest period of modern global history”. The petition calls it “unacceptable that Bratislava should be the only city in Europe” to host a performance by West, “not because of his musical expression, but because of his dangerous public attitudes that are in direct conflict with European memory and historical responsibility.” It stressed that the performance could attract “radical and extremist groups from Slovakia and abroad” and cited “legitimate concern about the appearance of Nazi symbolism, violent behaviour or the spread of ideology that is unacceptable in a democratic society and criminal in our country”.

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