San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is urging the city to cancel Kanye West’s planned July 4 performance, saying the city should not host someone with a record of hate speech and antisemitic remarks. The concert is still listed as scheduled in a city-funded venue, and tickets are still being sold.
In a June 20 post on X, formerly Twitter, Jones wrote, "I support canceling Kanye West's performance." She added that "this city should not host someone with a history of hate speech and antisemitic statements in a city-owned venue, ever, and certainly not on July 4, the 250th birthday of our nation." Jones said, "Standing up to antisemitism is exactly what is required of us."
The San Antonio appeal follows a similar push from Florida Senator Rick Scott, who asked Tampa sports officials to cancel West’s shows at Raymond James Stadium on June 26 and 28. Scott said a performance at a publicly funded venue would be a "slap in the face" to Florida’s Jewish community amid what he called "relentless antisemitic attacks." Tampa sports officials said they follow free speech principles, but do not support offensive or divisive remarks by performers.
West’s comeback tour has repeatedly been disrupted by his antisemitic comments and Nazi imagery. In April, Wireless Festival canceled its 2026 event after the British government blocked his entry to the country, despite plans for him to headline all three nights in London. Shows in Poland and Switzerland were also canceled, a French date was postponed, and an Italian performance was scrapped over safety concerns.
Still, West has continued performing in some places, including SoFi Stadium in California and Istanbul, where he said he drew 118,000 people and broke the stadium attendance record. In January, he placed a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal apologizing for antisemitic and other offensive remarks, linking his behavior to mental health struggles and pledging accountability, treatment, and change. But in 2025 he later retracted a previous apology to the Jewish community, again declared on X that he was a "Nazi," and then said after further reflection that he was not. His latest album, Bully, was released in March after first being streamed live on YouTube.
