Roger Waters is definitely in troubled waters after his latest concert in Berlin where he dressed as a Nazi SS officer and compared Anne Frank to Abu Akleh, leading the police to launch an investigation on him.
Waters, who is also a leader in the boycott Israel movement, sparked outrage by projecting Anne Frank’s name at recent concerts to draw comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany. Such comparisons are considered antisemitic under the widely-used IHRA definition of antisemitism.
“Good morning to every one but Roger Waters,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry reacted in a tweet.
Waters likened Anne Frank to Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in on-screen projections. Abu Akleh was killed on an assignment in the West Bank last year.
According to UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), Waters may also have committed trademark abuse and might face civil action for using Anne Frank’s name during his concert, without the consent of the Anne Frank Foundation, which has trademarked the name.
According to the UKLFI website, “UKLFI’s chief executive Jonathan Turner has pointed out that Anne Frank Stichting registered ‘Anne Frank’ as a trademark inter alia in Class 41 for entertainment services in various jurisdictions.”
“Roger Waters’ abuse of the mark seems liable to harm its functions and without due cause to take unfair advantage of its distinctive character and repute and/or to be detrimental to the distinctive character or repute, thereby infringing the rights of the Anne Frank Stichting.”
“Anne Frank Stichting and its lawyers might consider whether to protect its mark and other rights by threatening and, if necessary, bringing legal proceedings against Roger Waters and/or those organizing or hosting his concerts.”
“Roger Waters’ display was evidently intended to suggest that Abu Akleh, like Anne Frank, was murdered by evil fascists, and that the IDF are like the Nazis (a typical example of antisemitism according to the IHRA definition).”
The police in Germany also launched a criminal investigation into Roger Waters, as the country, which has strict laws against incitement to racial hatred, tries to make amends for the Nazi past.
“The context of the clothing worn is deemed capable of approving, glorifying or justifying the violent and arbitrary rule of the Nazi regime in a manner that violates the dignity of the victims and thereby disrupts public peace,” police chief inspector Martin Halweg said.
Waters wore a uniform resembling SS garb, with a long black jacket, black gloves, and a red armband, and symbolically shoots a gun into the crowd during the show.
He also put a Star of David, which is generally recognized as a symbol of Jewish identity, on the side of an inflatable pig during one of his shows.
The Frankfurt municipal government and Munich’s mayor tried to block Waters from performing in their cities but were not successful.
The city of Frankfurt had called Waters “one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world,” over imagery and Israel critique at his past concerts.
Parliament Member, Jewish Representatives Call For Cancellation Of Upcoming Roger Waters UK Shows
Roger Waters is also billed to perform at some concerts lined up in the UK next week. He will perform in Birmingham, Glasgow, London, and Manchester.
The Jewish Representative Council for Greater Manchester and the Region said in a statement that Waters is “synonymous with spreading deeply troubling political views that will rightly concern Jewish and other communities.”
“Allowing Waters to perform risks damaging community cohesion with the possibility of an increase in hate crimes targeting Jewish people,” the council said on Wednesday.
A member of the UK parliament and member of the Labour party, Christian Wakeford, is already pushing for Manchester’s AO Arena to cancel the Waters performance for the reason of his “vile comments towards the Jewish community with his performances used to dehumanize Jewish people, peddle conspiracy theories, and promote antisemitism.”
The leader of the UK’s House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, was said to have been informed of the issue and would be informing the Home Office.
In a Facebook post, Roger Waters again compared the Jewish state to Nazi Germany.
Germans had been forced to “stand by silent and indifferent” while Israel commits “institutionalized murder”, he said.
“The tyrannical racist regime is the State of Israel,” Waters said, likening the Jewish state’s treatment of Palestinians to the Holocaust.
“I feel sorry for you having to live, or at least live with, the lies we are all fed by The Powers That Be.”
Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt, head of the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (SEAS) joined to condemn Waters for his “despicable Holocaust distortion”.
