Protesters call Roger Waters 'anti-Semitic' ahead of Coliseum concert

<p>Protesters have gathered outside the Nassau Coliseum to rally against tonight's Roger Water's concert &ndash; calling the Pink Floyd founding member anti-Semitic.&nbsp;</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 15, 2017, 3:27 PM

Updated 2,658 days ago

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Protesters rallied outside the Nassau Coliseum to protest Roger Water's concert there Friday, calling the Pink Floyd founding member anti-Semitic. 
In July, Legislator Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence) said in a statement that Waters is a "notorious front-man for the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement" and called him a "virulent anti-Semite." 
Members of the BDS movement support the boycott of Israeli goods and services. Nassau County passed anti-BDS legislation last year that prohibits the county from doing business with companies involved in the BDS movement. Efforts by officials and Jewish groups to shut down the concert did not succeed.
The New York Civil Liberties Union wants the county to repeal the anti-BDS law, saying it's unconstitutional. Attorneys representing the Nassau Coliseum agree, saying that "The United States Supreme Court held that peaceful boycotts organized for expressive purposes are protected by the First Amendment." 
Waters is also known to fly an inflatable pig emblazoned with the Star of David during his concerts. Waters' creative director told Newsday that the imagery that protesters cited would not be used in any of the Nassau Coliseum shows. 
Waters performs again at the Coliseum Saturday night.