Roger Waters should not appear in Frankfurt because of allegations of anti-Semitism. The musician defended himself in court against the planned cancellation of the concert – and was right.
Ex-Pink Floyd member Roger Waters offends with his political views
The concert cancellation planned as a result of anti-Semitism allegations against the musician hurt Roger Waters in his fundamental right to artistic freedom, according to the court's assessment. Indications of criminal acts – such as the use of propaganda material and license plates of unconstitutional organizations or hate speech – are not evident, according to a statement by the Frankfurt Administrative Court on Monday (April 24, 2023).
< p>In his show, Waters “obviously uses a symbolism based on National Socialist rule”, which, given the location of the event, “can be considered particularly tasteless”. >
The concert is scheduled for May 28th in Frankfurt's Festhalle. There, in November 1938, in the days following the Night of Broken Glass, more than 3,000 Jewish men from Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area were rounded up and mistreated. They were then taken to concentration camps.
At his concerts, the musician explains what he thinks of people who do not share his political views
For the question of whether a cancellation of the concert is legally permissible, the only decisive factor is “that the applicant's appearance as a whole does not allow the conclusion that the applicant glorifies or relativizes National Socialist atrocities or identifies with the National Socialist racial ideology”. , said the court. The city of Frankfurt can appeal the verdict to the Hessian Administrative Court.
City of Frankfurt: “Hazardous behavior”
The reason for the planned concert ban was the artist's “persistent anti-Israel behavior”, according to the city of Frankfurt. Waters is considered “one of the most far-reaching anti-Semites in the world”. The ban on Waters concerts was also discussed in Cologne and Munich. Further appearances during his tour of Germany are planned in Hamburg and Berlin. In Berlin, the Anti-Semitism Commissioner and the German-Israeli Society Berlin-Brandenburg had spoken out in favor of a cancellation – but all concerts will now take place.
Management rejected allegations that Roger Waters was anti-Semitic. The musician “instructiond his lawyers to immediately take all necessary steps to overturn this unjustified decision and to ensure that his basic human right to freedom of expression is protected,” it said in early April in a statement.
In 2005, Pink Floyd reunited for a Live 8 concert (David Gilmour , Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Rick Wright, from left to right)
Speaker for Russia
The musician has attracted attention in the past with Nazi comparisons, his support of the BDS movement and conspiracy theory statements. On February 8, the 79-year-old Briton, a former member of avant-garde rock band Pink Floyd, addressed the UN Security Council in New York via video link at the invitation of Russia. In his speech he said, among other things, that he represented more than half of humanity with his opinion. The Russian Federation's attack on Ukraine was illegal but “not unprovoked”. That's why he condemned “even the provocateurs” – and this was addressed to Kiev – “strongly”.
It wasn't the first time Waters had spoken publicly about the Ukraine war. In September 2022, he accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of “extreme nationalism” and called on the West to stop arms deliveries to Ukraine. As a result, he was banned from performing in Kraków, Poland, and was declared an “undesirable person” by the city administration.
Supporter of the boycott movement BDS
BDS stands for “boycott, divestment and sanctions” and calls on musicians , athletes, companies and politicians not to invest in or perform in Israel. In May 2019, the majority of the German Bundestag voted in favor of the resolution “Resolutely oppose the BDS movement – fight anti-Semitism”.
Roger Waters with Pink Floyd at the “The Wall” concert in Dortmund in 1981
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) told the “Jewish General” that she could not ban a concert, but she would like organizers to refrain from holding concerts with Waters – “and if they should take place anyway, that he play in front of empty halls “. Roth said she regretted the musician's development, who has now become “obvious an active BDS supporter and a conspiracy theorist on top of that.”
Former bandmates distance themselves
Let's in the past Waters used pig-shaped balloons with a Star of David on them at concerts. On his current tour, he lets the hint appear that people who like Pink Floyd but reject his politics can “fuck off”.
Most recently, his former bandmates, who incidentally take a stand against the Russian war of aggression, had also distanced themselves from Roger Waters. In early February, Polly Samson, the Pink Floyd songwriter and wife of Waters' former bandmate David Gilmour, called Waters “anti-Semitic” and a “Putin apologist” on Twitter.
The cancellation of concerts is jarring but also to criticism. An online petition saying those who canceled concerts should “deal with their own history of anti-Semitism, racism and genocide […]” drew musicians including Peter Gabriel and Eric Clapton, the US linguist Noam Chomsky and the actress Susan Sarandon.
The English group Pink Floyd, founded in 1965, is one of the most successful bands in rock history with albums such as “The Dark Side of The Moon” and “The Wall”. . Roger Waters left the band in the mid-1980s and has since pursued a solo career.
This is an updated version of the February 9, 2023 article.