Roger Waters threatens Germany with legal action

German authorities have called for the cancellation of concerts in Frankfurt and Munich by Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters. The reason given by authorities in the German state of Hessen, where Frankfurt is located, is due to its “continuous anti-Israel behavior”.

Now, the rocker is threatening to strike back with legal action, saying the allegations against him are unjust.

Waters believes “that, if left unchallenged, this blatant attempt to silence him could have serious and far-reaching consequences for artists and activists around the world,” the London-based artist administration said on March 14.

The statement said the cancellation of Waters’ shows was “unconstitutional” and “unwarranted”. The decision to cancel was based “on the false accusation that Roger Waters was anti-Semitic, which he is not”.

According to a statement from management, the musician “directed his lawyers to immediately take all necessary steps to overturn this unwarranted decision and ensure that his fundamental human right to freedom of expression is protected.”

Canceled in Cologne

In February, Cologne city politicians called for the cancellation of a spring concert by former member of British avant-garde rock band Pink Floyd, citing the musician’s controversial political stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine and accusations of anti- semitism.

Most of the councillors, who cover the entire political spectrum, sent an open letter to the management of Lanxess-Arena, the great concert venue on May 9th. would provide Waters with a stage and asked management “to do everything they can to stop the show”.

City Hall has no direct influence on the running of the show, as the arena is a private venue.

Ukraine war ‘unprovoked’

In recent months, Waters’ brazen statements supporting Russia’s propaganda line on the war in Ukraine have led to a wave of criticism against the musician.

In a recent high-profile incident, the 79-year-old addressed the UN Security Council in New York on Feb. 8 via video link.

Invited by Moscow to deliver the speech, Roger Waters repeated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “provoked”, claiming that he represented a “voiceless majority” with his opinion.

He condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “in the strongest possible terms”, but added that “it was not without provocation, so I also condemn the provocateur in the strongest possible terms”.

Waters urged US President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as the “US, NATO, Russia, EU” to “change course now and agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine today”.

Russia presumably invited Waters to the meeting after his interview with the Berliner Zeitung, during which he made critical comments about arms deliveries to Ukraine and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as someone who “governs with care, making decisions based on consensus”. He also echoed Russia’s official propaganda, stating that the attack on Ukraine was actually a “special military operation”.

‘Just another brick in the wall’

“How sad for his former fans to see him accepting the role of just another brick in the wall – the wall of Russian disinformation and propaganda,” said Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Serhij Kyslyza, referring to Pink Floyd’s worldwide hit 1979, “Another Brick In The Wall.”

Deputy US Ambassador Richard Mills said Waters “has impressive credentials as a recording artist”, but argued that the musician’s qualifications to speak to the council as an expert on arms control or European security issues are not very plausible.

It is not the first time that Waters has spoken about the war in Ukraine in public. In September 2022, he accused Zelenskyy of “extreme nationalism” and urged the West to stop supplying Ukraine with weapons. As a result, his concerts in Kraków, Poland were canceled and the city administration declared him an “undesirable person”.

Accused of anti-Semitism

In Germany, an alliance of Jewish groups called for the cancellation of a concert by Waters scheduled for late May in Frankfurt. In a statement, the alliance accused Waters of anti-Semitic propaganda and expressing hostility towards Jews at events. Signatories call Waters an “anti-Semite, conspiracy theorist and Israel hater” and accuse him of advocating discrimination against Jewish-Israeli artists based on their heritage and of pressuring musicians who want to perform in Israel. There is a limit to free speech when it comes to protecting human dignity in the public sphere, they argue.

Uwe Becker, the commissioner for anti-Semitism in the state of Hesse, argued in January that Waters was “defending the BDS anti-Semitic boycott movement with increasing aggressiveness”. BDS stands for “boycott, divestment and sanctions” and calls on musicians, athletes, companies and politicians not to invest in or perform in Israel.

The Government Commissioner for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth, told the Judische Allgemeine The newspaper on Thursday said that while she couldn’t ban a show, she would like organizers to refrain from playing shows with Waters, “and if they still happen, let him play to empty halls”. She said that she regrets the development of the musician, who “obviously became an active supporter of BDS and, moreover, a conspiracy theorist”.

Former bandmates against Waters

In the past, Waters has let pig-shaped Star of David balloons go up at concerts.

On his current tour, he reportedly told the audience that if they love Pink Floyd but can’t stand his politics, they might as well “fuck in the bar, right now”.

Waters’ former bandmates, who took a stand against Russia’s war of aggression, also distanced themselves from the controversial musician.

Polly Samson, a lyricist who worked on some of Pink Floyd’s songs and who is married to Waters’ former bandmate David Gilmour, criticized Waters after the Berliner Zeitung interview, tweeting, “you are rotten to your core anti-Semitic” and a “Putin apologist”. Gilmour concurred: “Every word demonstrably true.”

The British band 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 article was originally written in German. It was updated on March 15th to reflect current developments.