Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters is accused of using offensive antisemitic terms including the ‘K word’ – and saying ‘what’s with the Jew food?’ when presented with vegetarian dishes
- Ex colleagues of the singer have spoken out to say they think he’s antisemitic
Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters last night faced allegations he made antisemitic remarks such as ‘dirty k***’ and ‘Jew food’.
He also allegedly mocked a Jewish musician’s grandmother who died in the Holocaust.
The legendary guitarist is accused of putting on a ‘slapstick impression’ of a ‘Polish peasant woman’ and jokingly telling his saxophonist: ‘I’ve met your grandmother!’
All of these claims are made in a film by former BBC investigative journalist John Ware.
It comes as the 80-year-old singer and bass player is on world tour – having dressed in a Nazi-style uniform during a concert in Berlin earlier this year.
Two former colleagues of Roger Waters have spoken out publicly to say they think he is antisemitic. Pictured: Waters dressed in a Nazi-style coat and holding a fake machine gun during a concert at the O2 Arena in London in June this year
The Pink Floyd singer allegedly suggested painting the words ‘dirty k***’ and ‘follow the money’ on an inflatable pig in an email
Over the years, Waters has consistently denied he is antisemitic.
But the documentary by veteran Panorama reporter Mr Ware – commissioned by the Campaign Against Antisemitism and released online last night – features two former colleagues speaking publicly for the first time who say they think he is one.
READ MORE HERE: Roger Waters says accusations he’s ‘glorifying the Third Reich’ are ‘deeply insulting and upsetting’ because his father died fighting Nazis
Waters faces accusations he wanted a giant floating pig at his concerts emblazoned with the Star of David and offensive slogans.
In an email, allegedly sent by Waters in 2010, he appears to suggest to his backstage team that the pig should be made with ‘dirty k***’, ‘follow the money’ and ‘scum’ written on the sides.
The word ‘k***’ is a notoriously offensive word used to denigrate Jews, while the money reference is a classic anti-Jewish trope, says the new film.
The pig was eventually made without these terms, but with the Star of David and dollar signs, and has been a feature of Waters’ concerts.
Bob Ezrin, a renowned music producer best known for his work with Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, U2, Taylor Swift and Aerosmith, tells the documentary, ‘The Dark Side of Roger Waters’, that ‘part of me is very upset with [Waters] for positions that he’s taking in the public that affect me as a Jew – and affect my people and my family and my friends, and I feel that’s why I have to do this interview and speak about it publicly’.
He suggested the floating pig would be a ‘rallying cry’ to antisemites in the audience, even if Waters himself insisted it was not antisemitic.
Mr Ezrin, who co-produced Pink Floyd’s seminal album The Wall, said: ‘It’s not like he doesn’t know that people are hurt. It’s not like he doesn’t know that this is enflaming antisemites – there are people applauding him and egging him on who wish that the Jews would go back to where they came from.’
Pictured: An inflatable pig emblazened with insults aimed towards Donald Trump floats over the crowd during a Roger Waters performance in Indio, California in October 2016
Pictured: Roger Waters dressed in a long black leather coat with a Nazi-style armband during a concert at the O2 Arena in London in June this year
He added: ‘I don’t believe that Roger sees himself as an antisemite, in the same way that most people don’t see themselves as racist. But he walks like one, he quacks one, he swims like one – so you know, from my point of view he’s functionally a duck.’
Waters has maintained he wants to highlight racism and religious dogma with all sorts of symbols.
Norbert Statchel, a saxophonist who toured with Waters all over the world, alleged to the documentary that when waiters at a restaurant had once brought out vegetarian dishes, Waters had exclaimed: ‘Where’s the meat? What’s with this? This is Jew food! What’s with the Jew food! Take away the Jew food!’.
Mr Statchel, who is Jewish, said: ‘I’m just sitting there, kind of in a panic. I don’t know what to do.’
Asked if he regarded Waters as antisemitic, he replied: ‘I personally do.’
The documentary is being screened online by the Campaign Against Antisemitism group.
Waters previously responded to allegations that he is an anti-Semite as ‘bull***’ and ‘vicious lies’.
He said he has worn a trench coat – which features a red armband emblazoned with two hammers – as a ‘piece of theatre’ for ‘more than 40 f***ing years.’
The musician also said he was just five years old when his father Eric died fighting the Nazis in North Africa in 1944.
He told Double Down News: ‘So, they’re attacking my dad, when they attack me… not just from a personal perspective, but what an outrage that anybody for a second could even speak about cancelling me.’
Roger Waters previously said claims he is an antisemite are ‘bull***’ and ‘vicious lies’ after he was condemned for wearing a ‘Nazi-style’ trench coat on stage – including in Germany
Supporters of the Jewish community demonstrated outside The O2 Arena in June before a Roger Waters performance
But Campaign Against Antisemitism’s chief executive Gideon Falter said: ‘Roger Waters has repeatedly used his enormous platform to bait Jews, but he always claims that he is not antisemitic.
‘We believed that there was further evidence out there to the contrary, and the release of The Dark Side of Roger Waters now puts the evidence we obtained in the hands of the public.
‘Is Roger Waters an antisemite? Now people can make up their own minds.’
In his concerts and on social media, Waters makes clear his criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, insisting this is his motivation rather than any antisemitism.
He says in video clips, repeated in Mr Ware’s new documentary: ‘I’m an antisemite? Are you insane?’ and ‘Clearly I don’t have an antisemitic bone in my body; I never have, I’ve never done anything antisemitic; I’ve never said anything antisemitic.’
In others clips, Waters says: ‘The notion that I am antisemitic is ludicrous. This is something that is aimed at anybody who tries to raise their voice against the policies of the current very right-wing, settler-based Israeli government,’ and also: ‘If we shout the lie loud enough – “Roger Waters is an anti-Semite” we’ll get people to believe it. Well, no you won’t – because it is a lie.’
Waters was contacted for comment.
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