Nobody cancels Roger Waters. The Pink Floyd co-founder has made that clear to Frankfurt City Council after he was accused of antisemitism and a concert in the German city was dropped by civic authorities.
In February, magistrates in Frankfurt instructed the venue for Waters’ planned 28 May concert in the city to cancel it, arguing the performer was “one of the most widely known antisemites” in the world.
The city council owns a 60 percent ownership stake in the venue where Waters, who once compared the Israeli government to Nazi Germany by saying Israel is “the worst regime in the world,” was scheduled to appear.
Now fellow rockstars including Eric Clapton, long-time Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine have all signed a change.com petition supporting Waters as he threatens legal action.
Tom Morello, Eric Clapton + more call for Roger Waters performance ban to be reversed: https://t.co/kpLoAmIo8V
— Loudwire (@Loudwire) March 21, 2023
The Central Council of Jews in Germany lauded the decision to cancel the show, saying in a statement that the organization encouraged “other German venues scheduled to host Waters to do the same,” according to the Ultimate Classic Rock outlet.
An upcoming show in Munich has also been nixed.
Waters has boasted hard-left anti-Israel views for years, accusing the Jewish state of pushing Nazi politics while downplaying crimes committed by Palestinians and advising other musicians to join him in boycotting the country.
Waters has also compared Israel to apartheid South Africa, declared support for the Islamist militant group Hamas and used a pig balloon adorned with a Star of David as a prop on a previous tours.
File/Pro Israel supporter Paul Antey waves the Israeli flag in protest against what he says is the anti-semite political beliefs of artist Roger Waters as he performs on stage during the third day of the Desert Trip music festival at Indio, California on October 9, 2016. (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty)
In 2021 Waters called on singer Stevie Wonder to turn down the prestigious Wolf Prize award because it comes from Israel, as Breitbart News reported.
In a video posted on Facebook, Waters launched into one his now famous rants, telling Wonder: “This is an apartheid regime. This is Israel. You will be whitewashing them beyond all belief if you accept the prize.”
The Pink Floyd veteran has now instructed the Höcker law firm to resist any concert cancellations. Speaking to the UK Guardian, the firm’s partner Ralf Höcker explained they would file interim injunctions against the councils if venues or promoters are instructed to cancel the concerts.
#Antisemite and Pink Floyd star Rodger Waters is at it again…During an online #NakbaDay event, he sang the words, 'We'll walk hand in hand and we'll take back the land, from the Jordan River to the sea,' echoing the famous chant by terrorist group Hamas. https://t.co/omO7kmLFvI
— StandWithUsUK (@StandWithUsUK) May 19, 2020
“The city of Munich is wasting taxpayer money on something that cannot be successful,” Höcker said. “The legal situation is really clear and they’re still going forward with this, and that’s unacceptable.”
Regarding the injunctions, he said “we’re very optimistic we’ll be successful” if they were filed.
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