Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters (79) has again issued a statement after allegations of anti-Semitism and a possible cancellation of his concerts in Frankfurt and Munich. “My lawyers are taking steps to ensure that my concerts in Munich and Frankfurt in May 2023 take place as contractually agreed,” he is quoted as saying in a statement from his management.
Human rights and freedom of expression for all people, as provided for in German law, must be enforced. That’s why he’s taking this step “to make sure that the will of a few doesn’t prevent me from performing in Frankfurt and Munich,” emphasizes Waters.
He wanted to take legal action to protect himself “from the unconstitutional measures” of two authorities “which appear to be based on a fundamentally false accusation made against me, namely that I am anti-Semitic”. He wanted to make it clear once and for all “that I am not anti-Semitic and have never been anti-Semitic and nothing anyone can say or publish will change that”.
The musician further explains: “My well-known views relate solely to the policies and actions of the Israeli government and not to the people of Israel. Anti-Semitism is abhorrent and racist and I condemn it as unreservedly as I do all forms of racism.” He was confident that truth and justice would prevail and that the authorities would not succeed in “denying me one of my fundamental human rights.”
The city of Frankfurt had announced that it would ban a performance by Waters planned for May 28, citing his “continued anti-Israel behavior”. According to media reports, the city of Munich is planning something similar. There, the city council should deal with a possible cancellation of the concert on May 21 in the Olympic Hall next Wednesday. Roger Waters has announced further performances in Germany for May, including Hamburg (May 7), Cologne (May 9) and Berlin (May 17/18).
