Pink Floyd co-founder and former frontman Roger Waters has been accused of antisemitic behavior, such as wanting swastika confetti at his concerts, an inflatable pig with “dirty kyke” written on it, and making remarks about “Jew food.”
The London-based organization Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has reportedly released emails and interviews for a documentary called The Dark Side of Roger Waters, which showcase the rocker’s antisemitic behavior and other allegations against him, according to multiple reports.
In one email, Waters reportedly suggested “bombing” audiences with confetti in the shape of swastikas, Stars of David, and dollar signs. The 80-year-old rocker was also accused of sending an email to employees proposing to write “dirty kyke” on the inflatable pig that typically floats above his concerts.
Roger Waters says there is nothing antisemitic about emblazoning a Star of David on the inflatable pig he floats above his concerts.
But one e-mail obtained by CAA shows he wanted “dirty kyke” (he couldn’t even spell his slur), “follow the money” and “scum” on the pig too. pic.twitter.com/lq2RhZOWmx
— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) September 27, 2023
“Hey Guys, Who’s going to make pig? Would it work to go out on the stuka truss? I imagine it black with crossed hammers logo as 1980, but covered with symbols from Good by blue sky,’crosses, stars of david (that’s king david not david gilmour) crescent and star, dollar signs, shell oil shell, etc and epithets,’my pig right or wrong’ ‘fuck you’ ‘no,fuck you’ ‘dirty kyke’ ‘follow the money’ ‘Scum?’ etc. Roger,” one alleged email from March 2010 read.
I found the most shocking revelation in the @antisemitism exposé of Roger Waters is where he suggested putting the slur “kyke” on his flying pig. I assume to be critical of it but I can’t imagine a white antiracist invoking the N or P word – no matter the intent.
Unthinkable. pic.twitter.com/msu2p8LiJw
— Heidi Bachram (@HeidiBachram) September 27, 2023
Waters was also accused of making a copious amount of antisemitic comments to his former saxophonist Norbert Stachel, and former co-producer Bob Ezrin.
Stachel claimed that Waters once lost his temper over vegetarian food at a restaurant, and demanded that waiters “take away the Jew food.”
The saxophonist explained that the Comfortably Numb musician pushed the dish away and proclaimed, “That’s it! That’s it! Where’s the meat? Where’s the meat? What’s with this? This is Jew food! What’s with the Jew food? Take away the Jew food!”
“The Dark Side of Roger Waters”
Premiering on Wednesday 27th September right here on @X.
10:00 West Coast
13:00 East Coast
18:00 UK
20:00 Israel pic.twitter.com/hEWqJuRCzO— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) September 26, 2023
Stachel also alleged that he was warned by a colleague not to react to Waters mocking his grandmother who was murdered in the Holocaust if he wanted to keep his job.
Ezrin, meanwhile, accused Waters of singing him an impromptu song about then-agent Bryan Morrison, who he called “a fucking Jew.”
“The last line of the couplet was ‘cos Morry is a fucking Jew,’” Ezrin, who produced Pink Floyd’s 1979 album, “The Wall,” said. “It was my first inclination that there may be some antisemitism under the surface.”
Waters has “a long track record of using antisemitic tropes,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement over the summer, after the former Pink Floyd frontman gave a concert in Germany that “contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust.”
In May, Waters performed at a in concert in Berlin wearing a long black leather coat with a red armband with two hammers fashioned into an “X,” black gloves, and a black suit and tie, and carrying a machine gun replica. The ensemble looked very similar that of an SS officer, and sparked an investigation by German authorities.
Recently, Waters was banned from speaking at the University of Pennsylvania amid allegations of antisemitism for his attire in Germany.
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