‘Cancel It!’: State Cash for Kanye West Show Sparks Outrage in Albania

"Please cancel this concert," an Albanian pleaded in a comment on a Kanye West’s Instagram post ahead of the US rapper’s show in Tirana on July 11 – which takes place amid mass protests over a very different issue in the country. "Albania is already protesting the controversial Jared Kushner development, and this event will only deepen divisions. Listen to the people not politics," the commenter urged West, who goes by the stage name Ye, referencing disputes over a planned luxury resort in a protected area. The government’s decision to allot 4.2 million euros to fund the concert – after initially insisting the event would be self-financing – has angered many who have been involved in the protests sparked by the coastal development linked to Donald Trump’s son-in-law. Other Albanians have also addressed West online to express disappointment, urging him not to come to Albania. They suspect the concert is an attempt to boost the image of Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose resignation protesters are demanding.