UNITED STATES. Los Angeles: Following many antisemitic incidents in Los Angeles that occurred after the musician made racist comments about Jewish people, Kanye West received major backlash from many people.
Now, California’s political officials, entertainment industry executives, and members of the Jewish community have asked Adidas to terminate connections with the celebrity.
Kanye West, a musician and fashion designer, has been circulating antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media and in interviews for several weeks.
When he wore a “white lives matter” T-shirt to his runway presentation earlier this month during Paris Fashion Week, he sparked even more controversy.
Bass on Twitter said, “We must all condemn the hate spewed by Kanye West, which has real consequences that we saw in Los Angeles this weekend,” he continued, “Until they sever ties, Adidas is enabling and financing his hate – they must act now.”
On Monday, a number of lawmakers, including state senator and vice-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus Scott Weiner and congresswoman Karen Bass, who is running for mayor of Los Angeles, denounced Ye’s actions and encouraged the sportswear company to cut off all connections with him.
They made reference to a weekend incident in which protesters on a freeway overpass were captured on camera giving the Nazi salute while carrying banners that quoted Ye’s antisemitic remarks. In addition, Los Angeles police are looking into the recent distribution of flyers promoting antisemitic conspiracies throughout the city.
Ye has a history of stirring up controversy with his 2020 presidential campaign and assertions that slavery was a “choice.” But Ye, who has bipolar disorder, has only barely been affected by prior remarks.
However, his most recent remarks have drawn a lot of criticism, including demands for a Ye boycott, and Instagram and Twitter have suspended his accounts as a result.
“In a short period, Ye’s made himself the most well-known, widely heard, brazen antisemite on the planet. Where is the outrage?” stated Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. The Jewish people will suffer real-world repercussions as a result of this.
In another tweet, Greenblatt criticized the athletic clothing company, writing: “Thousands of signatures, and still no word, @adidas? Your silence is a danger to Jew.”
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