(NewsNation) — An antisemitic message mentioning Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was projected onto a Florida football stadium Saturday night.
According to video posted on Twitter, the words “Kanye is right about the Jews” were spotted on the TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, during a game between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia. Sports fans like Preston Feiler noticed the projection.
“Last night when walking out of the stadium, this was being shot a laser scroll onto the back of the jumbotron. It said, ‘Kanye is right about the Jews.’ The last thing my son and I expected to see walking out of the stadium,” Feiler tweeted.
Another Twitter user posted video showing the view from her hotel room, which appeared to be the same message scrolling across another building.
The University of Florida and University of Georgia issued a joint statement Sunday morning, condemning the projected message.
“We strongly condemn the antisemitic hate speech projected outside TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville after the Florida-Georgia football game Saturday night and the other antisemitic messages that have appeared in Jacksonville. The University of Florida and the University of Georgia together denounce these and all acts of antisemitism and other forms of hatred and intolerance. We are proud to be home to strong and thriving Jewish communities at UGA and UF, and we stand together against hate,” the universities wrote.
It’s unclear how the message referencing Ye appeared on the side of the stadium.
The award-winning producer and fashion designer is facing backlash for his recent antisemitic comments on social media. In an interview with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo, Ye said he does not believe in the term “antisemitic” and insisted that he’s not “backing down” from his comments.
“The Jewish people that I’m talking about don’t have to understand. And that is that privilege that I’m not going to allow. When I wore the ‘White Lives Matter’ tee shirt, the Jewish underground media mafia already started attacking me,” Ye said.
Social media giants Twitter and Instagram recently suspended Ye following the threatening posts. When asked whether he thought his words violated guidelines on the social media platforms, he replied: “I don’t believe in that term … I classify as Jew also, so I actually can’t be an antisemite.”
Alan Dershowitz, a legal scholar who has written extensively on the American Jewish experience, fears Ye’s comments could influence the political views of others.
“We’re seeing tremendous increases not only in antisemitic acts but in antisemitic attitudes, and it’s coming from young people. And young people are our future. When there’s bigotry against any group, it just permits bigotry against every group,” Dershowitz said in an interview on “CUOMO.”
When it comes to Ye’s comments, some have pointed to his state of mind. Others have speculated that rather than his antisemitic comments being rooted in mental health issues, the rapper could be strategizing since he is set to acquire right-wing social media platform Parler.
Ye has said he wanted to buy the app because “people are using their technology to silo any messaging they don’t agree with.”
If that’s the case, there’s no doubt the comments have in turn cost him multiple business partnerships. Ye’s talent agency, Adidas, Balenciaga fashion house, Foot Locker, Gap, JPMorgan and Chase, MRC Entertainment, TJ Maxx, and Vogue are among the growing list of companies that have dropped or removed their affiliation with the celebrity.