Pro-Israel supporter storms stage at Roger Waters concert in Frankfurt

A pro-Israel supporter stormed the stage at a concert in Frankfurt on Sunday where former Pink Floyd vocalist and bassist, Roger Waters, was performing.

The protester managed to avoid security and reached the upper stage area, waving an Israeli flag. Throughout the crowd, other groups of protestors could be seen waving large Israeli flags and chanting “Am Yisrael Chai” or ‘the nation of Israel lives.’

#HERO! This brave man rushes the stage where antisemite Roger Waters was just playing in Frankfurt and waves Israeli flag. Meantime, you hear supporters chant "Am Yisrael Chai" (People of Israel live). 💪🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/xWfBGMNvMR

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) May 28, 2023

Demonstrators were allegedly responding to Waters and his latest anti-Semitic behavior and undertones during his German concert tour series, ‘This is Not a Drill’,’ including his highly-controversial show at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin last week.

During the performance, the former vocalist dressed up like a Nazi SS officer and later featured a crucifix-shaped screen display with various slogans and images that were reportedly anti-Semitic in nature.

Waters also displayed the names of several deceased individuals, including Anne Frank and Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist killed in Jenin while on an assignment last year. The on-screen projections drew ire and condemnation as they were seen as relativizing the Holocaust.

The former Pink Floyd frontman is under criminal investigation for performing in SS uniform, 'desecrating the memory of Anne Frank' and Holocaust victims, comparing the Holocaust to the Nazi Germany, and more.

Images of Waters wearing a long black coat with red armbands and brandishing a mock weapon on stage in Berlin circulated on social media, leading the German police to investigate him for alleged incitement of hatred and his accountability for normalizing anti-Semitic rhetoric publicly. According to the German police, the investigation was opened based on ‘suspicion’ that the costume was a show of support for Nazi causes and intended to disturb public peace, which are treated as acts of crime in Germany.

“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,” said German Police spokesperson and Chief Inspector Martin Halweg. 

Waters is well-known for his pro-Palestinian activism and has been accused of holding anti-Jewish views. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the performer is a leading anti-Israel activist and vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, as well. 

“His activism has increasingly been characterized as playing into antisemitic tropes, including those about Jewish or “Zionist” power; comparing Israel to Nazi Germany; and disparaging anyone who conveys even tangential support for Israel’s existence,” according to the ADL fact sheet posted on their website

Waters has attempted to defend himself against the ongoing criticism by stating that he only opposes Israeli policies and saying: “Just to be clear, I condemn anti-Semitism unreservedly.”

Condemnation of Waters’ actions have extended beyond Germany to the United States and European Union, as the musician has faced an increasing amount of backlash. Earlier this year, protesters in Munich rallied against his concert, and last year, his performances in Krakow, Poland were canceled due to his pro-Russian stance during the Ukraine conflict.