Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters attacked Donald Trump, expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and urged the Israeli government to “end the occupation” in Palestine during a politically-charged performance Sunday at the Desert Trip music festival in Indio, California.
While Waters, the evening’s headlining act, played “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” from Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals, the projection screen behind him displayed a series of anti-Trump images. As the 73-year-old musician belted out lyrics, images of the Republican presidential nominee in a KKK hood, holding a Nazi salute, and holding a giant sex toy like a rifle flashed across the screen.
One Twitter user captured an image of Trump with sagging breasts.
As Waters sang “ha ha, charade you are,” Trump’s face appeared with the word “CHARADE” blaring across the screen.
I got the sense Roger Waters doesn't care for Trump at #DesertTrip pic.twitter.com/XJCrsm4ZFY
— Joe Lynch (@branniganlynch) October 10, 2016
A giant inflatable pig, with the phrases “F*ck Trump and his wall” and “Arrogant, lying, racist, sexist” printed on it was also seen floating above the crowd during the show.
Roger Waters updates his Animals for 2016 pic.twitter.com/aQvroRuoHW
— Joe Lynch (@branniganlynch) October 10, 2016
Waters’s political commentary wasn’t just limited to U.S. presidential politics.
While Waters’s “Fearless” and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s/Gerry & The Pacemakers’ “You’ll Never Walk Alone” played, giant Black Lives Matter protest imagery flashed across the screen. “White silence is violence,” read one of the images.
Black Lives Matter, declares the Roger Waters visual during "Fearless" #DesertTrip pic.twitter.com/HvHmCx8B7W
— Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) October 10, 2016
The British singer’s set also wrapped with Waters reading “Why Cannot the Good Prevail,” a poem he wrote in 2004 after George W. Bush was re-elected.
Water also reaffirmed his support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel over its so-called occupation of Palestinian territories. “I encourage the government in Israel to end the occupation,” Waters said to the audience, before singing his final medley, “Comfortably Numb.”
On Friday, Waters was joined by surviving Pink Floyd band members David Gilmour and Nick Mason in the release of a joint statement in support of the all-female crew of activists who were arrested last week while attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The weekend-long concert, featuring performances from Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones on Friday, Neil Young and Paul McCartney on Saturday, concluded on Sunday night as Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton faced off at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, for the second presidential debate.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.