Roger Waters has recorded himself committing a criminal offense, which could attract a prison term of 14 years, as he continued to voice objections to events in Palestine.
The Pink Floyd icon clearly stated his support for Palestine Action, a peaceful British pressure group that was proscribed by the British government starting on July 5.
A new law makes it illegal to have any involvement with the group – simply expressing support for them is now a crime.
READ MORE: Why Roger Waters Won’t Hold Back Political Statements
Waters repeated the phrase “I am Spartacus,” taken from Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 movie in which the titular Roman slave is protected from being arrested because everyone in a large crowd claims to be him.
In the video below, Waters showed a placard he had written and read out its contents: “Roger Waters supports Palestine Action, 5th July 2025… Parliament has been corrupted by agents of a genocidal foreign power! Stand up and be counted. It’s now!”
(He humorously noted that he hadn’t left himself enough room to write “…or never” on the placard.)
He continued: “It’s now. This is the moment – I’m Spartacus.” Then he added: “Okay, this is Independence Day, July the 5th, 2025. I declare my independence from the government of the U.K., who’ve just designated Palestine Action a proscribed terrorist organization.
“For the record – 5th of July – I support Palestine Action. It’s a great organization. They are non-violent; they are absolutely not terrorist in any way. They are… protesting the presence in the U.K. of Elbit Systems, who are an Israeli arms manufacturing organization.
“So that’s that: I support Palestine Action and I always will, because that is the right thing to do.”
Roger Waters Says British Government Are Lying
Referring to an article on the subject by Guardian campaigning journalist George Monbiot – published the day before the new law came into force – Waters said: “This is an ‘I am Spartacus’ moment… I am Spartacus. Good on you, George, and good on everybody who’s standing up everywhere and saying ‘I am Spartacus.’
“We will not be rolled over by this appalling Labour government… They are lying, and they have put their lies into the law of the land.”
He concluded: “We must support our brothers and sisters in Palestine; we must support them no matter what… [All those] who are standing up to be counted, I love you.”
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Roger Waters in Pittsburgh, July 6, 2022
Pink Floyd legend launches 2022 North American tour.
Gallery Credit: Savannah Butler, UCR / Kate Izor / Brian Lima
