Some 400 people between Jews, politicians and an alliance of civil society groups held a protest march against a concert of Roger Waters in Frankfurt, Germany.
This is because they accuse the co-founder of Pink Floyd of anti-Semitism, an accusation that the musician strongly rejected.
Waters has also sparked anger from these groups for his support for the BDS movement, which calls for boycotts and sanctions on Israel.
Initially, the authorities had tried to prevent the concert, but the renowned artist managed to successfully challenge this measure in a local court.
Protesters on Sunday afternoon outside the Festhalle, the venue where Roger Waters performed. Photo: The Guardian
Due to the above, the concert was held in the city's Festhalle, where more than 3 Jews were abused by the nazis in 1938.
“Given this historical context, the concert should not have taken place under any circumstances,” said Sacha Stawski, a member of the Frankfurt Jewish community and director of the group Honestly Concerned, which helped organize the protests.
Last week, the police Berlin announced that an investigation had been opened into Waters on suspicion of incitement to hate due to the costume he wore during his performance in the German capital earlier this month.
Images posted on social media showed Waters using a toy gun and wearing a black trench coat and red armband. The police confirmed the initiation of the investigation on suspicion that the context of the costume could constitute a glorification, justification or approval of the Nazi regime and, therefore, a disturbance to the peace public.
Michaela Fuhrmann, head of political relations for the Jewish community in Frankfurt, said the aim of the protest was to demonstrate against anti-Semitism, hatred of Israel and conspiracy theories.
The protesters held up banners with inscriptions such as "Israel, we stand by you" and "Roger Waters, I wish you weren't here," referring to one of Pink Floyd's most famous songs (Wish You Were Here).
In Frankfurt's Festhalle, the venue for the concert, more than 3 Jewish men were rounded up, detained, mistreated and eventually deported in 1938. In their memory today, school-age children read aloud the names of the victims.
Roger Waters has been repeatedly accused of anti-Semitism and in Germany there are many critics of his actions.