Roger Waters has recently had trouble booking hotels in Montevideo. Two hotels have refused to take him in, citing his public stance against Israel during the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Waters is scheduled to perform in Montevideo’s Centenario stadium for his ‘This Is Not A Drill’ tour. But, following the refusal from both the Hyatt Centric Hotel and the Regency chain hotels, there’s uncertainty about where he’ll stay.
A local radio station revealed that it wasn’t even confirmed whether he would stay in Montevideo. Meanwhile, Montevideo’s Azul FM said that the singer had ‘a discourse that is openly hateful and openly anti-Semitic.’
Despite these lodging issues, Waters has assured his fans through social media that his Montevideo show will go on as scheduled on November 17. A day before the show, he shared a photo of him and Nick Mason on X and wrote:
“Here’s Nick and I in London last month after one of the Redux shows. So nice to see him. He won’t be in Montevideo tomorrow, but I will be.”
There’s Also A Problem With The Argentina Lodgings
Following the Uruguay concert, Waters is set to perform in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but he mentioned in an interview with Pagina 12 that he might have to stay in Sao Paulo, Brazil, due to difficulties in finding lodgings in Buenos Aires.
Saying that his reservations at the Faena Hotel and the Alvear Hotel were canceled, the singer explained:
“Somehow, these idiots of the Israeli lobby managed to co-opt all the hotels in Buenos Aires and Montevideo and organized this extraordinary boycott based on the malicious lies… about me.”
Anti-Semitism Accusations Affected Argentina’s Decision
Waters has responded to accusations of anti-Semitism by saying he’s never had such thoughts and that his criticisms are directed at the Israeli government. Still, Argentine lawmakers, including Congresswoman Sabrina Ajmechet, have expressed concerns about his comments, especially regarding the October 7 Hamas attacks.
A part of the public statement they shared read:
“We reject that an anti-Semite who works for the elimination of the State of Israel comes to Argentina.”
While Ajmechet commented on the matter through social media by writing:
“Out Roger Waters, you are not welcome.”
Roger Waters also received backlash due to his stance against Ukraine in the war with Russia earlier in the year, and his Nazi-inspired stage costume for one of his shows in Germany led him to be investigated by the police a few months ago.
HERE'S NICK AND I IN LONDON LAST MONTH AFTER ONE OF THE REDUX SHOWS. SO NICE TO SEE HIM.
HE WON'T BE IN MONTEVIDEO TOMORROW, BUT I WILL BE. https://t.co/CZeEiwxbsk
📸: KATE IZOR pic.twitter.com/2egvbnRlQo
— Roger Waters ✊ (@rogerwaters) November 16, 2023