Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, recently shared a now-deleted tweet in favor of Roger Waters, who has come under fire for wearing a costume resembling an SS uniform during a show in Berlin. In a tweet, the Democratic presidential contender labeled Waters a “global hero,” writing: “You are the global hero Orwell envisioned when he said, ‘In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.'” Censorship, gaslighting, and defamation are being used by the top priests of authoritarian orthodoxies to silence you. Please continue to speak truth to power!”
Waters wore a red wristband with two black crossed hammers in a white circle for the Berlin show. As a result, the performer got outrage on social media. In addition, Berlin police launched an inquiry, checking film from his previous performances in Germany to see if he changed his clothing. Waters responded to the claims with the following tweet: “Those who want to smear me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles have launched bad faith attacks in response to my recent performance in Berlin.
” The portions of my act that have been questioned are unmistakably a statement against fascism, injustice, and intolerance in all of their manifestations. Attempts to depict those characteristics as anything different are deceptive and political in nature. Since Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ in 1980, I’ve been depicting an insane fascist in my shows. I’ve spent my entire life standing up to authoritarianism and oppression everywhere I see it.” Roger Waters’ contentious Berlin gig occurred after he won a legal struggle against the Frankfurt city council over antisemitism claims, with the administrative court ruling that the singer did not intend to celebrate Nazi philosophy. A screenshot of Kennedy’s deleted tweet is included below.