Roger Waters concert cancelled by the City of Frankfurt over claims of anti-Semitism

An upcoming Roger Waters concert in Germany has been cancelled as "an example against anti-Semitism."

The show was originally scheduled to take place on May 28 at the Festhalle concert hall in Frankfurt as part of Waters' This Is Not a Drill tour. However, the show has now been pulled by the city council, citing "the persistent anti-Israel behaviour" of the former Pink Floyd frontman. The city council share a 60% ownership of the venue along with Hesse's state government, and sought legal permission to shut down the show.

In a statement released on Friday, February 24, under the heading, 'Frankfurt sets an example against anti-Semitism', the city flagged up the fact that Waters has "repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa." It also references Waters' use of a pig-shaped balloon emblazoned with a Star of David and corporate logos on previous tours.

The statement also noted the historical significance of the venue, Festhalle, being the site where 3,000 Jewish men were held under arrest in 1938 ahead of their deportation to concentration camps following Kristallnacht, the violent anti-Jewish demonstrations which saw Nazis destroy Jewish-owned stores, buildings and synagogues.

Following the cancellation, the Central Council of Jews in Germany released a statement voicing their support of the decision, urging other venues in the region to do the same, stating: "antisemitism in art and culture does not have to be tolerated".

In response to the situation, Waters retweeted a video by Dr. Ramzy Baroud, in which the doctor argue that the real reason behind the show's cancellation is due to the musician's support for Palestine.

The ex-Pink Floyd frontman has been accused of anti-Semitism on numerous occasions in the past. Recently writer Polly Samson, a former lyricist for Pink Floyd and the wife of Waters' former bandmate David Gilmour, posted a tweet labelling Waters "antisemitic to [his] rotten core. Also, a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac." Gilmour retweeted his wife's post with the caption: "Every word demonstrably true."