Roger Waters, co-founder of the rock group Pink Floyd, protested this Sunday, September 25 after the cancellation of two concerts scheduled in Krakow, Poland, because of his statements deemed complacent vis-à-vis Russia, concerning the war in Ukraine.
The Krakow City Council must also decide by the end of September on a motion declaring Roger Waters “Persona non grata”. One of the city council members, Lukasz Wantuch, called on the townspeople to boycott his concerts.
The organizer, Live Nation Polska, does not comment.
In an open letter in early September 2022, the 79-year-old British musician wrote that the West should stop supplying arms to Ukraine and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of tolerating a “extreme nationalism” before ordering him to put an end to “this murderous war”.
The concert organizer, Live Nation Polska, announced on Saturday September 24 on Twitter that the concerts, which had been planned for April 2023 in the main sports hall in the city of Krakow, had been canceled, but did not provide details.
Roger Waters, currently on tour in the United States, denied on Facebook Polish media claims that his band had given up coming to play. He personally attacked his opponent in the Krakow city council, accusing him of “draconian censorship” his work. “Lukasz Wantuch seems to know nothing of my story (which consisted) to work all my life, at the cost of certain personal sacrifices, in the service of human rights”said the singer-songwriter.
Paraphrasing the lyrics of Pink Floyd’s smash hit, Another Brick in the WallRoger Waters added: “Hey! Lukasz Wantuch! – leave the children alone! – » The English musician reiterated his position. He claims he only wanted to call the countries involved “to work towards a negotiated peace rather than aggravate the situation towards an even worse outcome”.