Record label plans to drop Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters following accusations of antisemitism: Report
Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Water’s record label is planning to part ways with the musician following inflammatory comments regarding Israel and Ukraine in recent months, according to reports.
The German-based company, BMG, signed a publishing agreement with Water in 2016 and was scheduled to release a newly recorded version of Pink Floyd’s 1973 album “Dark Side of the Moon” last year, but the deal was canceled when CEO Thomas Coesfeld took the helm in July 2023, Variety reported.
According to Variety, “Sources tell Variety that BMG is preparing to separate entirely from the veteran musician.”
BMG declined comment when asked about the report by Fox News Digital.
Rogers has been accused of antisemitism in recent years, most recently claiming that he doesn’t know “what actually happened” when Hamas launched its surprise invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, killing at least 1,200 and taking more than 200 hostages into the Gaza Strip.
Waters even said he wasn’t convinced it wasn’t a “false flag operation” during an interview with journalist Glenn Greenwald, expressing doubt about the death toll and Hamas’ role in the attack.
The musician said there was “something very fishy” about the attack, stating “we don’t know what they [Hamas] did do” during the invasion when asked if the attack could be “justified.”
“Was it justified for them to resist the occupation? Yeah,” he said.
“But again, it’s what you said, it’s the Geneva Conventions. They are absolutely, legally and morally bound to resist the occupation since 1967. It’s an obligation.”
“If war crimes were committed, I condemn them,” Waters said, but added that the massacre “was thrown out of all proportion by the Israelis making up stories about beheading babies.”
“What we do know is, whether it was a false flag operation or not, or whatever, or whatever happened, and whatever story we’re going to get to… and we don’t know if we’re ever going to get much of the real story,” he added.
“It’s very, it’s always hard to tell what actually happened.”
According to Variety, Waters discussed being “fired” by BMG last fall: “Waters himself spoke of being ‘fired’ by BMG in a video interview with Glenn Greenwald last November, although the news was buried some 24 minutes into the conversation and followed a long, familiar tirade in which the musician characterized his split with the company as the result of pressure from pro-Israeli interests toward BMG’s parent company Bertelsmann.”
Waters was criticized in a Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) documentary titled “The Dark Side of Roger Waters,” which directly accused him of antisemitism, highlighting his concert in Germany where he wore what appeared to be a Nazi-inspired uniform with a red armband while holding a fake rifle.
Screens flashed names of victims presumably killed by state actors, including George Floyd and anti-Nazi activist Sophie Scholl.
Holocaust victim Anne Frank’s name was shown after Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, which prompted controversy. A large inflatable pig also floated across the audience carrying Third Reich-style banners.
“Mr Waters has always insisted that he is not an antisemite, but our investigation has revealed e-mails from Mr Waters in which he proposed writing ‘Dirty k—’ on the inflatable pig habitually floated above his concerts and suggested ‘bombing’ audiences with confetti in the shape of swastikas, Stars of David, dollar signs and other symbols,” the CAA wrote in a press release about its documentary.
Waters called out the accusations by Jewish organizations as “bad faith” and “politically motivated” attacks.
In 2013, Waters had a similar performance where he wore a Nazi armband, flying a pig-shaped balloon featuring images of dictatorial symbols next to the Star of David.
FOX News’ Lindsay Kornick and Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
