Statement on the debate over the planned concert by Roger Waters:
For several months, it has been known that Roger Waters is scheduled to hold a concert at the Frankfurt Festhalle on May 28, 2023. Since then, there have been protests and calls to cancel the concert. The Volt faction in the Römer has also been expressing its support for these demands since November 2022, citing our “No Room for Antisemitism” motion.
In his public letter to Putin, Roger Waters has now also expressed his understanding for the actions of the Russia and, on the 8th of February 2023, claimed, that the invasion of Ukraine was “not unprovoked”, before the UN Security Council. Prior to this, the civic Alliance “Honestly Concerned” emphasised its demand to cancel the performance. As a result, the Volt faction in the Römer sees once again that the concert must be prevented.
Now, the state of Hessen has also proposed to cancel the concert. “After some members of the magistrate have already publicly spoken out against a performance by Roger Waters, a joint shareholder resolution of the Messe Frankfurt on the termination of the contract should now also take place,” says Britta Wollkopf, cultural-policy spokesperson for the faction. “We need a debate that addresses how we handle antisemitic and racist motives in art and culture.”, she demands. Furthermore, she says: “Documenta Fifteen has already shown that discussions immediately before or during an event are extremely difficult. Instead, basic standards must be formulated that prevent such situations from arising in the future.”
