Editing Roger Waters (section)

====Fascist imagery and German police investigation====
On 25 February 2023, the German city of [[Frankfurt]] cancelled one of Waters's scheduled shows, calling him one of the "most widely known antisemites" and citing his support for BDS, the imagery at his shows and his talks with Hamas. The move was supported by the [[Central Council of Jews in Germany]] and the Frankfurt Jewish Community.<ref>{{Cite web| author=ToI Staff|title=German city cancels Roger Waters performance due to his antisemitism |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-city-cancels-roger-waters-performance-due-to-his-antisemitism/|date=25 February 2023 |access-date=25 February 2023 |work=The Times of Israel |language=en-US |archive-date=25 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225060811/https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-city-cancels-roger-waters-performance-due-to-his-antisemitism/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2023">{{Cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=16 March 2023 |title=Roger Waters threatens legal action over German concert cancellations |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/16/roger-waters-threatens-legal-action-over-german-concert-cancellations |access-date=16 March 2023 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=16 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316225202/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/mar/16/roger-waters-threatens-legal-action-over-german-concert-cancellations |url-status=live }}</ref> Waters hired a German law firm to challenge the concert cancellation, and released a statement denying the accusations and stating that the cancellation could have "serious, far-reaching consequences for artists and activists all over the world".<ref name="Beaumont-Thomas-2023" /> A German court overturned the cancellation, saying the concert should be viewed as a work of art and that it "did not glorify or relativise the crimes of the Nazis or identify with Nazi racist ideology".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Connolly |first=Kate |date=25 April 2023 |title=Roger Waters wins legal battle to gig in Frankfurt amid antisemitism row |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/25/roger-waters-pink-floyd-wins-legal-battle-to-gig-in-frankfurt-amid-antisemitism-row |access-date=26 May 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

That May, German police opened a criminal investigation into Waters and the Nazi-style uniform he wore during his Berlin performance for possible [[incitement]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2023 |title=Berlin police investigate Roger Waters for possible incitement over concert outfit |url=https://apnews.com/article/germany-roger-waters-costume-police-incitement-investigation-ec5b3e2a6592d92ecd78af793644f3f5 |access-date=30 May 2023 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> [[Nazi symbolism]] is banned in Germany, with exemptions for educational and artistic purposes.<ref name="Oltermann-2023">{{Cite news |last=Oltermann |first=Philip |date=26 May 2023 |title=Berlin police investigate Roger Waters over Nazi-style uniform at concert |language=en-GB |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/26/berlin-police-investigate-roger-waters-nazi-style-uniform-pink-floyd-concert |access-date=26 May 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Waters has long used similar uniforms for performances of ''The Wall,'' in which the protagonist hallucinates himself as a fascist dictator.<ref name="Oltermann-2023" /> [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Israel)|Israel's Foreign Ministry]] criticised Waters for his performance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schuetze |first=Christopher F. |date=26 May 2023 |title=Berlin Police Investigate Roger Waters After He Wore Nazi-Style Costumes at Concerts |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/world/europe/roger-waters-berlin-nazi.html |access-date=30 May 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[United States Department of State|US Department of State]] called it "deeply offensive to Jewish people" and accused Waters of having a record of using antisemitic tropes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/us-calls-roger-waters-performance-berlin-deeply-offensive-jewish-people-2023-06-06/|title=US calls Roger Waters performance in Berlin 'deeply offensive to Jewish people'|work=Reuters|date=6 June 2023|accessdate=7 June 2023}}</ref> In the UK, Starmer and the secretary of state, [[Michael Gove]], issued statements condemning him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/roger-waters-resumes-nazi-act-in-london-that-hed-dropped-following-germany-uproar/|title=Roger Waters resumes Nazi act in London that he'd dropped following Germany uproar|work=The Times of Israel|first=Canaan|last=Lidor|date=8 June 2023|accessdate=8 June 2023}}</ref>

Waters said the use of fascist imagery was a statement in "opposition to fascism, injustice and bigotry".<ref name="Sky News-2023">{{cite web |date=27 May 2023 |title=Pink Floyd star Roger Waters says he was opposing 'fascism' when he wore Nazi-inspired uniform |url=https://news.sky.com/story/pink-floyd-star-roger-waters-says-he-was-opposing-fascism-when-he-wore-nazi-inspired-uniform-12890501 |accessdate=27 May 2023 |work=Sky News}}</ref> He pointed out that he had been using Nazi-inspired uniforms in performances since 1980, but they had only recently attracted controversy.<ref name="Double Down News-2023" /> Waters felt the criticism was disingenuous and politically motivated,<ref name="Sky News-2023" /> and that he had been attacked at the behest of the "Israeli lobby" in Germany.<ref>{{cite web |date=27 May 2023 |title=Roger Waters: German police investigate ex-Pink Floyd star over Nazi-style costume |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65725902 |accessdate=27 May 2023 |work=[[BBC News]]|first=Nadeem|last=Shad}}</ref> In an interview with [[Double Down News]], Waters said the accusations of antisemitism were a "vicious lie" and "deeply insulting", and that he was a victim of [[cancel culture]]. He said that the Israeli government was attempting to discredit him as they saw him as an "existential threat to their settler-colonialist, racist, apartheid regime".<ref name="Double Down News-2023">{{cite web |title=Pink Floyd's Roger Waters EXPLOSIVE Interview Sets Record Straight |date=6 June 2023 |url=https://www.doubledown.news/watch/2023/june/6/roger-waters-explosive-interview |publisher=Double Down News |access-date=10 June 2023}}</ref>

In May 2023, the Labour MP [[Christian Wakeford]] criticised Waters's shows in UK parliament. Waters responded at a concert in London the following month, calling Wakeford a "fucking moron" and a "cripple", which ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' said "drew a sharp intake of breath" from some in attendance. Waters also said he was "pissed off with this [[Israel lobby in the United Kingdom|Israeli lobby]] bullshit" and accused critics of "making up stuff because you've been told to by your masters from the Foreign Office in Tel Aviv".<ref name="varietywaters">{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2023/music/reviews/roger-waters-controversial-comments-london-concert-review-1235635917/ | title=Roger Waters Doubles Down on Controversial Comments and Conspiracy Theories at London Show: Concert Review| website=variety.com| date=7 June 2023| access-date=8 December 2023 | archive-date=7 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607153424/https://variety.com/2023/music/reviews/roger-waters-controversial-comments-london-concert-review-1235635917/| url-status=live }}</ref>