Now Roger Waters is Pink Floyd, Right?

Roger Waters has faced intense criticism and investigations for using Nazi-style imagery in his concerts, though he maintains these displays are satirical and anti-fascist. While he denies having Nazi sympathies, several governments and Jewish advocacy groups have accused him of crossing the line into antisemitism and Holocaust trivialization.

The Controversy in Berlin

In May 2023, Berlin police opened an investigation into Waters after he performed in a long black trench coat with a red armband, a costume reminiscent of an SS officer, and fired an imitation machine gun.
The New York Times +1

The Costume: The outfit features “crossed hammers” rather than a swastika, a symbol from the 1982 film Pink Floyd: The Wall, representing a fictional fascist movement.Context: Waters argues the performance depicts an “unhinged fascist demagogue” to critique authoritarianism, a routine he has performed for decades.

Anne Frank Imagery: During the same shows, Waters displayed the name of Anne Frank alongside Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist killed in 2022. Critics, including the Israeli Foreign Ministry, accused him of “relativizing” the Holocaust.The New York Times.

Allegations of Antisemitism

Beyond the costume, Waters’ critics point to a long history of actions they describe as antisemitic: The Inflatable Pig: He has frequently used a giant inflatable pig featuring the Star of David alongside other symbols, which the [Anti-Defamation League (ADL), (https://www.adl.org/resources/fact-sheet/roger-waters-his-own-words), and other groups have condemned. Political Statements: Waters has compared the Israeli government’s policies to those of Nazi Germany and labeled Zionism a “death cult”.Peer Criticism: His former bandmate David Gilmour and lyricist Polly Samson have publicly supported these accusations, with Samson calling him “antisemitic to [his] rotten core”.
Anti-Defamation League +3

Waters’ Defense

Waters has consistently rejected all accusations of antisemitism and Nazi sympathy: Anti-Fascist Background: He notes that his father died in World War II fighting the Nazis, which he says makes the accusations particularly offensive. Satire vs. Sincerity: He maintains that his stage persona is a character designed to expose the absurdity and evil of fascism, not to promote it.Legal Rulings: A court in Frankfurt ruled in his favor in 2023, allowing a concert to proceed despite the city’s attempts to ban it, citing his right to artistic freedom.   The New York Times +4

⚠️ Note: While German police investigated the 2023 performance for “incitement of the people,” the use of Nazi symbols in art is generally protected in Germany unless it is used to glorify or justify Nazi rule. Now our article content from cool media:: Roger Waters, bassist and co-founder of Pink Floyd, has recently addressed the question that has lingered for years: Who really is Pink Floyd? Though he has often remained publicly quiet on the issue, it’s clear that the topic simmers just below the surface, never fully extinguished. Waters, known for his visionary songwriting and thematic direction within the band, continues to showcase his solo work with powerful performances that captivate audiences. However, one can’t help but feel the absence of the complementary dynamic David Gilmour brought to the table—particularly his iconic guitar solos and hauntingly beautiful backup vocals.
Waters undoubtedly commands the stage with his strong moral compass and solid bass and keyboard foundations, but for those of us who grew up listening to a fully staffed Pink Floyd, the debate over “who is Pink Floyd” feels settled. To me, Pink Floyd has always been at its best when Waters’ sharp conceptual vision merges with Gilmour’s soaring guitar work and vocal harmonies. The chemistry they shared was the heart and soul of the band’s magic.

A perfect example of this is the 2011 live performance of “Comfortably Numb” at the O2, where Waters and Gilmour briefly reunited on stage. It’s a reminder of why they’re better together—Gilmour’s ethereal guitar and vocal presence elevate Waters’ songwriting in a way that no one else can. Watching that video, it’s impossible not to feel the emotional weight of their collaboration and the significance of what they created as a duo.

For a nostalgic glimpse of Pink Floyd’s original lineup (sans Syd Barrett, RIP), we’ve also included a video of their last full-member concert. It serves as a testament to the band’s lasting legacy and the undeniable synergy that made them one of the most influential groups in rock history. Waters’ solo work continues to impress, but for many of us, the magic of Pink Floyd was—and always will be—found in the full lineup, where each member’s contributions created something far greater than the sum of its parts.

The Berlin Incident (May 2023)

During his This Is Not a Drill tour, Waters performed in Berlin wearing a long black leather overcoat with a red armband, dark glasses, and an imitation machine gun — attire a Berlin police spokesman confirmed “resembles the clothing of an SS officer.” Euronews Berlin police opened a formal investigation on suspicion of incitement, citing that the context of the costume “could constitute a glorification, justification or approval of Nazi rule and therefore a disturbance of the public peace.” After the police investigation was concluded, the case was handed to Berlin prosecutors to decide whether to pursue charges. Live 5 News

Waters maintains the costume is a satirical character. He has stated that “the depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since Pink Floyd’s The Wall in 1980,” and that “attempts to portray those elements as anything but anti-Fascist were disingenuous and politically motivated.” Al Jazeera The armband features crossed hammers — not a swastika — an image from Pink Floyd’s The Wall that has nonetheless been appropriated by racist skinhead groups, according to the Anti-Defamation League. CNN

Anne Frank and the Holocaust Relativization Charge

Waters also projected the name of Holocaust victim Anne Frank juxtaposed with the name of Palestinian Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh — identified on screen as having been killed for “being Palestinian” — which some Jewish groups contend equates Israel’s actions with the Nazi death camps. Variety The Israeli Foreign Ministry publicly accused Waters of relativizing the Holocaust. Germany’s official commissioner on the fight against antisemitism called for Waters to be held accountable. The Times of Israel

Waters’ Claim of Legal Vindication — and Its Limits

Waters opened his Berlin concerts with an on-screen text stating, “A court in Frankfurt has ruled that I am not an antisemite.” However, a writer who attended the show noted that this claim misrepresented reality — the Frankfurt Administrative Court merely granted an emergency request allowing him to perform, and did not rule on the antisemitism question itself. Variety
A Pattern of Controversy: The ADL Record

The Anti-Defamation League has documented a lengthy record of Waters’ statements. In April 2024, Waters publicly labeled Zionism a “death cult” and “genocidal.” In a 2022 interview, he claimed Israel believes Jews are “superior to everybody else on the planet.” He has repeatedly compared Israeli government policies to those of Nazi Germany, and has referred to Zionists using the term “cabal.” ADL
Dropped by His Music Publisher

In early 2024, music rights company BMG — which had signed Waters in 2016 — severed ties with him over his inflammatory remarks about Israel, Ukraine, and the United States. Variety noted that Waters’ statements had “infuriated his former bandmates” and driven off suitors interested in acquiring Pink Floyd’s catalog. Euronews The U.S. State Department also weighed in, stating that Waters had “a long track record of using antisemitic tropes” and that his German concerts “contained imagery that is deeply offensive to Jewish people and minimized the Holocaust.” Euronews
UK High Court Defamation Ruling (February 2025)

A London High Court found that statements Waters made on Al Jazeera — accusing documentary filmmaker John Ware of “cheerleading the genocide of Palestinians” and acting as a “Zionist mouthpiece” — were defamatory statements of fact, not protected opinion. Justice Jennifer Eady concluded Waters was blocked from claiming his assertions were merely opinions, advancing the lawsuit toward trial. The Hollywood Reporter. The documentary in question, The Dark Side of Roger Waters, explored allegations of antisemitism throughout his career and featured interviews with former collaborators, including his saxophonist and The Wall producer Bob Ezrin.
Most Recent: Possible UK Prosecution (July 2025)

In July 2025, Waters publicly declared support for Palestine Action — a group the UK Parliament had just designated a terrorist organization — saying on video, “I am Spartacus.” The Campaign Against Antisemitism subsequently stated that it was reviewing the post, noting that expressing support for a proscribed organization is a criminal offense under the Terrorism Act 2000, and that it stands ready to prosecute offenders privately. Fox News

Waters’ Defense

Waters has consistently denied all accusations of antisemitism. He has cited his personal history — his father died in World War II fighting the Nazis — as evidence that the accusations are particularly offensive to him. Al Jazeera. He has stated that accusations against him amount to a “despicable smear campaign” orchestrated to silence his advocacy for Palestinian human rights. Euronews

A Note on His Former Bandmates

David Gilmour signed on to a statement — penned by his wife, lyricist Polly Samson — calling Waters “antisemitic to your rotten core,” and additionally characterizing him as “a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac.” Variety. These are serious charges made by someone with close, decades-long personal knowledge of him.

 A Final Word on Speech, Criticism, and the Line That Actually Matters

In any honest accounting of the Roger Waters antisemitism controversy, a foundational legal and moral distinction must be made — one that mainstream coverage has largely failed to draw. Protected speech and legitimate political criticism of a government and its military apparatus are not hate speech. Documenting the IDF’s conduct in Gaza, questioning Israeli government policy, or depicting fascism on a concert stage are categorically different from the pro-Nazi, ethnoreligiously targeted hatred that defines genuine antisemitism. Roger Waters is, first and foremost, an artist whose entire creative canon — from The Wall to his solo work — has been animated by a sustained, decades-long opposition to fascism in all its forms. The characters he inhabits on stage are not expressions of his personal ideology; they are theatrical indictments of authoritarianism, a tradition rooted in something deeply personal — his father’s death fighting Nazi Germany in World War II. That biographical and artistic context does not render every statement Waters has made beyond scrutiny, and our caveat above addresses those distinctions honestly. But conflating an artist’s anti-fascist theater with Nazi sympathy, or equating criticism of a government’s military conduct with hatred of a people, is not journalism — it is a category error that does real damage to the very concept of protected political speech, and ultimately makes it harder, not easier, to identify and confront actual antisemitism when it appears.

Cool Media does not render a verdict on Roger Waters’ personal beliefs. We present documented facts and verified legal proceedings. Readers are encouraged to weigh this context alongside the music. Sources: Berlin Police (AP/AFP, May 2023), ADL Fact Sheet (updated May 2024), Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Euronews, Times of Israel, UK High Court ruling (Ware v. Waters, February 2025), Fox News/Campaign Against Antisemitism (July 2025).