Roger Waters Gets Support From Rock Legends

Following the recent cancellation of multiple shows in Germany of Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters, comedian Katie Halper started a petition to reverse the decision.

Many known artists, including Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, Brian Eno, Eric Clapton, and former Genesis singer Peter Gabriel, have shown their support for Waters by signing the petition.

The rocker’s concerts in Germany were canceled after receiving backlash due to his outspoken political views. Recently, Waters made it clear that he is not afraid of the cancel culture and will continue to fight for his freedom of speech.

Waters has always been known to speak out his stance about politics and human rights, but because of the views he shared criticizing the Israeli government’s actions towards Palestine, Waters is now facing allegations of antisemitism leading to the cancellation of some of his shows, including the one in Frankfurt scheduled for May 28.

Earlier this month, Halper initiated a petition to defend the musician which included a detailed text stating his real motives behind his words and referred to the German government’s decision as unjust. She stated that Waters’ words were aimed at the Israeli government, not the people. The text read:

“Waters’ criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians is part of his long-term advocacy on behalf of human rights across the globe. Waters believes ‘that all our brothers and sisters, all over the world, irrespective of the color of their skin or the depth of their pockets deserve equal human rights under the law.’ With regard to Israel and Palestine, he says, ‘My platform is simple: it is the implementation of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights for all our brothers and sisters between the Jordan River and the sea. Antisemitism is odious and racist, and I condemn it, along with all forms of racism, unreservedly.’”

The comedian also suggested that the officials were dangerously confusing Waters’ criticisms of the government with antisemitism. She explained:

“The officials vilifying Waters are engaging in a dangerous campaign that purposely conflates criticism of Israel’s illegal and unjust policies with antisemitism. This conflation perpetuates the antisemitic trope, which presents Jews as a monolith who blindly support Israel. Some of Israel’s loudest critics are Jews. But those who weaponize antisemitism are fine contributing to it.”

Finally, in the last part of the statement, she wrote:

“Officials in Germany, concert organizers, and music platforms must not succumb to the pressure of those individuals and groups who would rather see Waters’ music removed than engage with the issues his music highlights. We call on those who have canceled Waters’ concerts to reverse their decisions and consider their own history of antisemitism, racism, and genocide and how instances of these can be stopped today in other parts of the world, including in Occupied Palestine.”