Multiple hotels in Argentina and Uruguay have reportedly turned away or canceled reservations belonging to Pink Floyd star Roger Waters over accusations of being antisemitic. His reservations were abruptly canceled in Argentina; leaving Waters shocked and taken by surprise. Local sources report the hotels claimed they could not accommodate Waters due to a lack of availability.
https://apnews.com/article/argentina-uruguay-roger-waters-cb8b9276dd2f1eea45eaa6111456406b
Similar rejections occurred in Montevideo, Uruguay, where hotels declined to host Waters without specifying the reason. The unexpected event in question has thrown off Waters’ schedule and he’s currently stuck in Sao Paulo, Brazil where he just had a show.
He expressed his displeasure with the situation, saying that the hotels had been forced to cancel the concerts by the so-called “Israeli lobby” as he felt this could be due to his pro-Palestinian views. Waters went a step further, saying that these external influences had even made him miss a dinner date with José Mujica, who was once the Uruguayan president and personal friend.
In response, Roby Schindler, the President of the Central Israelite Committee of Uruguay further encouraged the movement after writing a letter to the Sofitel hotel advising it not to receive Waters. In the letter, Schindler alleged that Waters was using his artistic fame to spread lies and hatred toward Israel and the Jewish people.
Schindler was adamant, saying, “By accepting him, you shall propagate the hatred he exudes even if you don’t want”. Waters has not been a stranger to accusations of antisemitism, this year the U.S. government also accused him. The State Department claimed that Waters continually resorted to “Jew-baiting.”
Waters vehemently denied these accusations, blaming them squarely on his unyielding advocacy for human rights and his outspoken stance on the Palestinian conflict. Recently, Waters argued in an interview given to Glenn Greenwald that the Israeli response to the Hamas attack of Oct. 7 was exaggerated with stories of beheading babies.
Even today, Waters is a controversial subject with debates surrounding him, mainly concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the recent snub from Argentina and Uruguay adds an extra dimension to the potential repercussions of being a politically active entertainer.
