By Romana Rubeo
Pink Floyd rock legend Roger Waters has announced his intention to take legal action against the German municipalities of Frankfurt and Munich for canceling his scheduled concerts, based on the claim that the English rockstar is “antisemitic”.
“My lawyers are taking steps to ensure that my concerts in Munich and Frankfurt in May 2023 take place as contracted,” Waters tweeted in a statement shared on March 16, adding:
“Human rights and freedom of speech for all people under German law must prevail, which is why I am taking this stance.”
On February 24, the city of Frankfurt decided to cancel Waters’ gig following intense pressure from pro-Israeli groups. Waters is known for his outspoken commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a strong supporter of the rights of Palestinians.
Waters is not unique in having weaponized allegations of antisemitism wielded against him in Germany. The EuroMed Human Rights Monitor recently expressed concern over the “anti-Arab purge in German media.”
Waters has become an outspoken critic of Israel’s apartheid and oppression of the Palestinian people since he first visited the West Bank in 2006 and was approached by the BDS movement to support their campaign.
“I want to state for the record and once and for all that I am not and never have been antisemitic and nothing that anyone can say or publish will alter that,” Waters said. He asserted:
“My well-publicized views relate entirely to the policies and actions of the Israeli government and not with the peoples of Israel”.
Following the cancellation of his Frankfurt concert, well-respected intellectuals and celebrities spoke out against the German city’s decision.
In a video that has gone viral since then, Palestinian author and Palestine Chronicle editor Ramzy Baroud said that the attack on Waters is entirely related to his strong stance for a just peace in Palestine.
“I am confident that the truth and the law will prevail and that these authorities will not succeed in denying any of my basic human rights,” Waters concluded.