A London High Court has ruled that Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters made defamatory statements against documentary filmmaker John Ware during an Al Jazeera interview. Justice Jennifer Eady determined that Waters' accusations claiming Ware was "cheerleading the genocide of Palestinians" and acting as a "Zionist mouthpiece" were statements of fact rather than opinions.
The ruling advances Ware's lawsuit against Waters toward trial. Ware produced "The Dark Side of Roger Waters," a documentary examining allegations of antisemitism surrounding the musician. The film features interviews with Waters' former collaborators, including saxophone player Norbert Stachel and "The Wall" producer Bob Ezrin.
Waters had previously defended himself on his website, stating the documentary "indiscriminately mixes things I'm alleged to have said or done" to portray him as antisemitic "without any foundation in fact."
The Campaign Against Antisemitism, which created the documentary, responded by saying that accusing those who allege antisemitism of being "cheerleaders for genocide" represents a "modernised version of the trope that those who allege antisemitism are merely trying to silence criticism of Israel."
The court dismissed Waters' defense that his statements were meant as opinions about Israeli forces' actions in Gaza. Justice Eady clarified that while Waters' reference to "genocide" may have expressed his opinion about Israeli forces' actions, his claim that Ware actively supported such actions constituted a factual statement.
This legal battle follows other controversies surrounding Waters, including a 2023 investigation by German authorities regarding his stage costume during a Berlin performance, where he wore a black leather trench coat with a red armband displaying crossed hammers. Waters has consistently denied antisemitism allegations throughout his career.