Roger Waters Defamed Filmmaker With Antisemitic Remarks, Court Finds

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A London court determined that comments made by Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, who accused a documentary filmmaker of encouraging the killing of Palestinians and serving as a spokesperson for Zionism during an interview with Al Jazeera, were considered defamatory.

On Tuesday, Justice Jennifer Eady determined that Waters’ statement was a factual claim, preventing him from claiming his assertions were merely opinions. This court ruling on preliminary matters in the case moves it closer to trial. In her decision, she stated, “The statements are potentially damaging to the plaintiff under common law.

A year ago, John Ware filed a lawsuit against Roger Waters, following some remarks made on Al Jazeera’s The Stream. The documentary titled “The Dark Side of Roger Waters” delved into accusations of antisemitism towards Waters. Featuring interviews from various figures throughout his career like Norbert Stachel, a former saxophone player, and Bob Ezrin, producer of Pink Floyd’s The Wall, the film attempts to depict him as potentially antisemitic, which, according to Waters, is baseless. In a blog post on his website, Waters stated that the documentary haphazardly combines things he may have said or done at different instances and contexts, with no substantial evidence to support their portrayal of him as antisemitic.

In the statement, the Campaign Against Antisemitism pointed out that individuals labeling someone as accusing others of antisemitism simply because they’re ‘cheerleaders for genocide’, are actually repeating a modern twist on an old stereotype. This stereotype suggests that those who claim antisemitism are merely trying to stifle criticisms of Israel.

In Tuesday’s decision, the court dismissed Waters’ claims that his statements were intended as opinions about the actions of Israeli forces in Gaza, among other matters.

In his writing, Judge Eady acknowledges that the first defendant’s use of the term ‘genocide’ was an expression of his opinion regarding the actions of Israeli forces in Gaza. However, when the defendant claimed that the claimant supported this ‘genocide,’ Eady interprets it as a statement of fact, not just an opinion.

In the year 2023, Waters faced an inquiry by German officials due to donning a black leather trench coat embellished with a red armband bearing two hammer symbols during a show in Berlin. Throughout his professional life, he has refuted accusations of antisemitism.

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2025-02-25 23:24