ROGER WATERS URGES COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT TO REQUEST A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA
Roger Waters, the lead singer of Pink Floyd, is facing backlash for displaying a Palestinian flag during his meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro and for his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On October 7, Hamas retaliated against what it claimed were deteriorating conditions for Palestinians under Israeli rule by attacking Israel. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas, launching numerous airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and conducting extensive ground operations. The Associated Press reported that at least 1,200 Israelis and over 17,700 Palestinians were killed, according to Gaza health authorities. The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire on Friday. The resolution, proposed by the United Arab Emirates, had the support of 13 other members, but the U.K. abstained.
Waters, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist, met with Petro in Bogotá, Colombia, on December 7, two days after his concert in the city. During the meeting, Waters asked Petro to spearhead an initiative at the International Court of Justice to enforce the genocide convention and halt the ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip.
Waters told the Colombian president that their shared objective is "to fight for the human rights of everyone in the world," to which Petro responded, "we are in agreement on that." He also presented the president's youngest daughter with a signed guitar, and they both held up the Palestinian flag.
Waters has been criticized online after right-wing media figure Oli London posted a video of Waters and Petro's meeting on X. "He's so pro Palestine that they hold the flag upside down. These people are morons", commented one user.
However, not all reactions to the singer-songwriter were negative, with some praising him on the social media platform.
"Once more, @rogerwaters says exactly what needs to be said. Refuse the reality pushed by the Western enablers of the apartheid Israeli genocide. Ceasefire now. End the occupation now. Justice now. NOW," one individual wrote, sharing a post from Waters' X account.
Vin Arfuso, a filmmaker who collaborated with Waters on a documentary titled Walled Off about the Palestinian situation, stated that supporting Palestinians does not inherently equate to antisemitism.
"I want people (Americans mostly) to understand the plight of the Palestinians, to understand what it means to live under military occupation, to understand the concept of ethnic cleansing, the meaning of apartheid—where it applies and where it doesn't with regard to Israel, and so on," Arfuso said.
"For too long the slogan 'Free Palestine' has been conflated with accusations of antisemitism and other ill-intentions when in reality it's a call for self-determination and independence," he added.
This Is Not a Drill, Waters' seventh concert tour, kicked off in Pittsburgh on July 6, 2022, and concluded in Quito, Ecuador, on December 9, 2023. Waters did not shy away from expressing his views during his performances. He not only wore the Palestinian keffiyeh on stage, but also incorporated visuals into his show that called for an end to the "genocide in Gaza." This is not the first time Waters has faced controversy. He was previously accused of antisemitism following a May performance in Berlin where he wore a Nazi-style, black leather trench coat with a red armband featuring two crossed hammers instead of a swastika.
However, Waters defended himself on his website, stating that the performance was "quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry