Roger Waters has been criticized and slammed during a protest rally and memorial ceremony moments before the singer's Frankfurt concert.
The singer started to deal with several issues in the past days as he reclaimed his chance to perform in Frankfurt amid antisemitism allegations. He also sparked rage after he allegedly donned a Nazi-style outfit during his concert in Berlin.
Roger Waters Condemned Ahead of Frankfurt Concert
On Sunday, Jewish and civil society groups gathered alongside politicians during a memorial ceremony and a protest rally against Waters' concert at Frankfurt's Festhelle, Billboard reported. They held the gathering to coincide with his May 28 Frankfurt concert, criticizing the singer for antisemitism.
While he has been denying that he is anti-Semitic, protesters also highlighted his support for the BDS movement.
Before the recent rally, Frankfurt-based authorities attempted to prevent the concert from happening, but Waters successfully regained his chance after challenging the report in a local court.
Member of the Frankfurt Jewish community and head of the group Honestly Concerned, Sacha Stawski, said that the concert should not take place circumstances due to the venue's historical background. The event's place in Festhalle witnessed more than 3,000 Jews beaten and abused by the Nazis in November 1938.
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"It's very frustrating," WerteInitiative head Elio Adler said. "His words and imagery spread Jew-hatred and are part of a trend: to normalize Israel-hatred under the protection of freedom of speech or art."
The protesters read out loud the names of 600 Jews who were rounded up decades ago before the concert began. They also handed out flyers, Israeli flags, and banners that read, "Roger Waters, wish you were not here" and "Israel, we stand with you."
Waters still pushed through with the concert after the city council concluded that it was not legally possible to cancel its contract with the organizer even though it explored the possibility of banning the show.
Roger Waters Sparks Criticisms After Berlin Concert
Aside from his Frankfurt show, Waters' Berlin concert also earned disapproval after the singer wore a Nazi-style outfit, leading to a police investigation.
The singer addressed the issue in a social media post on Friday, saying that the public attempted to silence him because of his principles. The costume in question was featured in the 1980- film, "The Wall."
Police chief inspector Martin Halweg said after the concert that the State Security Department at the Berlin State Criminal Police Office conducted a criminal investigation regarding the matter to find out whether Waters truly glorified and justified the Nazi regime's actions.
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