Campaign Targets New York Concert by Uzbekistan’s Yulduz Usmonova

A campaign has been launched in the United States against a planned concert by singer Yulduz Usmonova from Uzbekistan, according to a report by Brighton Beach News. The controversy is unfolding in Brooklyn, where Usmonova is scheduled to perform on May 9 at the Oceana Theater in the Brighton Beach area. Local politicians have voiced strong criticism and announced plans to hold a press conference calling for the event to be canceled. Among those involved are New York State Assembly members Michael Novakhov and Alec Brook-Krasny, as well as Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. According to statements cited in the report, the officials accuse the singer of having made remarks in the past that they consider offensive toward the Jewish community. The issue has drawn particular attention due to the location and timing of the concert. Brighton Beach is known as a major center for Russian-speaking and Jewish communities in New York, and May 9 is widely observed as a day marking the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Organizers of the campaign say they have called on the singer to publicly reject and apologize for the alleged statements but claim that she has declined to do so. They have also reportedly submitted a request to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking for the revocation of her visa. This is not the first time a concert by Usmonova in New York has come under pressure. In 2024, another planned performance in the city was canceled after protests over remarks attributed to the singer that critics described as antisemitic.