A pro-Israel protester tried to break into the stage with an Israeli flag during Roger Waters' performance in Frankfurt on Sunday. Other demonstrators waved Israeli flags in the crowd and sang "Am Yisrael Chai" from the gallery. This was in protest of the musician's controversial performance in Berlin earlier this month.
During the performance, Waters spoke onstage, denying the allegations against him and explaining that he had made changes to his performance. He excitedly thanked the audience for their support.
Roger Waters' performances in Germany have been the focus of a storm in recent months. At first, the city of Frankfurt announced the cancellation of Waters' appearance in the city, stating that he was "one of the greatest anti-Semites in the world." However, a court overturned the decision on free speech grounds.
Earlier this month, during his performance in Berlin, the musician took to the stage in a costume reminiscent of a Nazi uniform, and in one of the songs he donned a leather jacket with a red swastika sleeve on it, and "fired" at the audience with an artificial rifle. Waters allegedly resembled a scene from Pink Floyd's "The Wall," but Germany's law against Nazi symbols is strict and strict, and indeed, last weekend Berlin police opened an investigation into the musician. In addition, Waters compared Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead in Jenin by IDF soldiers about a year ago, to Anne Frank.
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Waters rejected the criticism, arguing that the same elements that caused a stir were actually a statement against fascism, and some of its performances since the 80s. "My last performance in Berlin drew bad faith attacks from those who want to defame and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles," Waters wrote on Twitter. "The elements in question from my performance are quite clearly a statement of opposition to fascism, injustice and bigotry of any kind. Attempts to portray them as something else are illogical and prevented from politics. The depiction of fascist demagoguery has been part of my performances since Pink Floyd's album 'The Wall' in 1980."
"I've dedicated my whole life to speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression everywhere I see them. When I was a child after the war, Anne Frank's name was often mentioned in our home, and she became a constant reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked. My parents fought against the Nazis in World War II, and my father paid the ultimate price," added Waters, whose father was killed during the war. "Regardless of the consequences of the attacks on me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those responsible."
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