Monday, December 23, 2024

Nicki Minaj’s Amsterdam return cancelled after arrest

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Nicki Minaj’s latest concert in Amsterdam has been cancelled, its promoter has said, almost a week after the US rapper was arrested in the city on suspicion of trying to export drugs.

The star started her European tour in Amsterdam last week but was held by Dutch military police at the airport two days later, before being fined and released.

The arrest forced her to postpone a show in Manchester at the last minute on Saturday.

She had been due to return to Amsterdam for a second show this Sunday, but promoter Mojo said it would no longer take place “due to the events of last week”.

A Dutch military police spokesman told BBC News the case was closed, and no further action would be taken against her if she returned to the country.

The rapper hasn’t commented on the latest cancellation, but has spoken about the arrest, saying the way she had been treated was “just disgusting”, and suggested her race was a factor.

“Not being able to get to Manchester, I don’t know when was the last time I felt that that low, you know?” she told fans on livestreaming platform Stationhead.

“And not only that, but just knowing that that something is being done to you on purpose. You are a confident other race, you know?

“But I’m not going to get into it and tell you guys the joy they took in it, even while I was there. But you know what? There was one lady there – all the rest were men – and I could tell she had a heart.

“But the treatment was just disgusting. And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

In response, the Dutch military police spokesman said: “We just do our job and it is protocol to search luggage and arrest a person when we find drugs.

“The arrest was around 17.30, the release at 21.30. We stand for a professional organisation that treats everybody equal, no matter what.”

Minaj was fined 350 euros (£300, $380), they said, adding: “It is illegal to take drugs to another country.”

At the time, Dutch prosecutors told local media she had been carrying 30 to 100 grams of cannabis – but Minaj claimed “the pre-rolls” belonged to her security guard.

Her release did not come in time for her to make the concert at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena on Saturday, where about 20,000 fans were waiting for her to perform.

That show was postponed to Monday, 3 June.

Her tour included two Manchester dates, with the other show going ahead as planned on Thursday, 30 May.

Since leaving the Netherlands, she has also played in Birmingham, London and Glasgow.

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