A protest rally has been announced in Cologne against the concert of musician Roger Waters. The artist has repeatedly been caught up in scandals related to antisemitism and defending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Local representatives of Judaism, Christianity and politics want to demonstrate against the concert of British musician Roger Waters in Cologne. On the eve of the concert, on 8th May, they plan to hold a rally on Roncalli square near Cologne Cathedral. Overtly aggressive anti-Semitism should not be tolerated under the guise of artistic freedom, according to an appeal circulated by the Cologne synagogue community.
“Waters caters to the secondary anti-Semitism which combines criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish stereotypes,” says Markus Meyer of the Cologne Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation.
According to the appeal, Waters repeatedly uses anti-Semitic and sometimes “disgustingly provocative images” at his concerts. He has also made unsubstantiated claims about the war of aggression against Ukraine and the Middle East conflict.
Waters is due to perform at Lanxess Arena on 9 May. The Pink Floyd co-founder has been repeatedly featured in anti-Israeli rallies in the past. Christian and Jewish groups in Cologne have therefore long called for the concert to be cancelled.
In Frankfurt, the city and state of Hessen decided to cancel a Waters concert at the end of May. The musician announced that he would take legal action against it.
