- Title: Roger Waters gives free concert in Mexico City, slams Trump and Pena Nieto
- Date: 2nd October 2016
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CONCERT ATTENDEE, SANTIAGO FIGUEROA, SAYING: "We are all here together to enjoy the good music, but also to feel a little more of that force some of us have started to feel against the government, against the president, against so many things. This man is a person who has a deep public spirit, with an impressive political mind. And so for me, it's an honour to experience this, and even more on this stage which is symbolic for the country and even for the world."
- Embargoed: 17th October 2016 20:39
- Keywords: Pink Floyd Roger Waters free concert Mexico City
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA00252BALVX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A man who knows a thing or two about walls, legendary musician Roger Waters rocked Mexico City Saturday (October 2) evening.
The 73-year old former bassist and vocalist for legendary British rock band Pink Floyd was performing the first of his three concerts. On stage in front of 200,000 concert attendees, Waters addressed the various political winds sweeping through Mexico of late during his act at the Foro Sol venue.
Over the course of two hours, Waters and his backups performed Pink Floyd classics like "Brain Damage."
And over the course of the evening, he took on both U.S. Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
Trump has vowed he would build a wall on the border with Mexico and renegotiate or scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement if he is elected. He has also accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug runners to the United States.
Pena Nieto saw his approval rating fall to an all-time low over the summer for lackluster economic growth as well as his failure to crack down on corruption and ongoing drug violence. Drug-trafficking gangs have infiltrated police forces across the country and more than 100,000 people have been killed in drug violence over the last decade. Some 26,000 are missing.
During the concert, an image of Trump was on a projection screen alongside an artistic pig and a message calling him a "pendejo" or "idiot" among other potshots. Waters himself said Pena Nieto's policies have "failed" and called on him to "listen" to his people, according to concert reports.
The statements were well received.
"We are all here together to enjoy the good music, but also to feel a little more of that force some of us have started to feel against the government, against the president, against so many things. This man is a person who has a deep public spirit, with an impressive political mind. And so for me, it's an honour to experience this, and even more on this stage which is symbolic for the country and even for the world," concert attendee Santiago Figuera told Reuters.
"Well, I think that it's fine (he discusses political issues) because I think he's informed on events that are happening in the country and that he supports the people and this is very good as well," said another, Yira Soto.
Later this month, Waters is slated to perform at the Desert Trip in California alongside the likes of the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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