Wiesenthal Centre to Barclays CEO: "Barclaycard as Purveyor of Hate"

July 11, 2018

In a letter to Barclaycard CEO, Barry Rodrigues, Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, expressed outrage at the 6 July Hyde Park “hate concert”, that kicked off the "Barclaycard British Summer Time” music festival. 

Samuels pointed to obscene political performer, Roger Waters, as "addressing the audience of families with small children wielding a banner inscribed 'F--k the Pigs!', followed by slogans on screens iconizing Russia, Putin, Iran and Julian Assange and an array of slurs against Israel."

The letter suggested that "had this show been confined to the nearby Hyde Park Corner's 'off the wall' punditry from across the political spectrum, it could, perhaps, have been dismissed as malicious nonsense." Samuels added, “Not so, Mr. CEO, when its venom is presented under the sponsorship of Barclaycard."   

The Centre called on Barclaycard "to publicly condemn Waters hate-mongering and to take disciplinary measures against the staff who endorsed this travesty." 

Noting that he and his family have been Barclays clients for over 60 years, Samuels concluded that if the banking giant fails to take such action, “ I will cancel my Barclaycard and urge our members to consider transferring their accounts to a bank that promotes prosperity - not hate," 

For further information, contact Shimon Samuels at +33 609 770 158