After Kanye West’s Anti-Israel and Pro-Nazi Remarks, Amsterdam’s Jewish Community Pushes Back

The fight against antisemitism in Europe is entering a new phase. This past weekend, a large protest installation was set up in Dam Square, the central and most visited square in Amsterdam, against singer Kanye West’s two planned performances in the Netherlands. The initiative came from the country’s main Jewish organization together with the local community, after a local court rejected the group’s petition to cancel the shows and declare the singer an undesirable person in the country.

At the center of the installation, giant screens mounted on trailers played in a loop some of West’s most extreme statements from recent years, including the declaration "I like Hitler" and other harsh remarks against commercial companies. The organizers’ goal was to confront the Dutch public directly with these texts in order to raise awareness of how serious they are.

Alongside the large screens, dozens of empty office desks and chairs were spread across the square, with signs in the local languages displaying quotes from public intellectuals and politicians. Among them were the words of politician Henri Bontenbal: "Antisemitism is poison that we must continue to fight." The installation was meant to symbolize the many Jewish students, lecturers, and citizens who feel threatened and pushed aside by the public platform being given to the artist.

The protest was organized following the court’s ruling, which found that freedom of expression and the right to perform take precedence in this case. The judges explained that in his most recent performances, including the one held in Istanbul, West did not make antisemitic statements and no public disturbances were recorded. The decision also came after a majority in the Dutch parliament tried to pressure the government to prevent his entry into the country, an effort that was rejected by Immigration Minister Bart van den Brink on the grounds that there was not sufficient legal basis for doing so.

The concerts themselves are expected to take place at GelreDome Stadium in the city of Arnhem, and so far tens of thousands of tickets have been sold. In light of the public uproar and the high sensitivity surrounding the issue, Arnhem Mayor Ahmed Marcouch has already approved three separate demonstrations expected to take place outside the stadium during the performances.