San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is demanding the cancelation of Kanye West's scheduled July 4th concert at the Alamodome, a city-funded venue, in a social media post targeting the rapper's history of antisemitic comments.
"Military City USA should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic comments in a city-funded facility like our Alamodome—not ever, and certainly not on July 4th, our Nation's 250th birthday," Jones wrote.
This is not the first political figure to pressure West's tour. In April, Rolling Stone reported that Florida Senator Rick Scott pressed the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel West's concerts at Raymond James Stadium.
West's recent tour has faced numerous cancelations. London's Wireless Festival dropped him after the UK denied his visa. Poland canceled his concert over antisemitic remarks and Nazi praise.
West has attempted to address his past. In January, he published a full-page Wall Street Journal apology admitting to years of antisemitic and other controversial statements. He attributed the outbursts to mental health struggles, saying he "gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold T-shirts bearing it."
"I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change," West wrote, adding: "It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people."
Whether his apology will persuade San Antonio officials is unclear. The Alamodome concert faces mounting pressure from the mayor and a pattern of international cancelations.
