Roger Waters Urges Maroon 5 to Turn Super Bowl Halftime Show Into Political Protest
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Music

The Pink Floyd co-founder has called upon the 'Girls Like You' hitmakers, Travis Scott and Big Boi to 'take a knee' on stage to show solidarity to Colin Kaepernick and other shot to death on the street.

AceShowbiz - Rocker Roger Waters has called on Maroon 5 and rappers Travis Scott (II) and Big Boi to turn their Super Bowl Halftime Show into a political protest and "take a knee".

Adam Levine and his band are headlining the musical portion of the American football showdown in Atlanta, Georgia on Sunday, February 03, with guest appearances by Travis and Big Boi.

The festivities have been marred by controversy ever since Maroon 5 signed on for the high-profile gig last year (18), amid reports suggesting Rihanna had rejected an offer from National Football League (NFL) chiefs to top the Halftime Show bill in support of sidelined quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose career has been derailed following his 2016 decision to kneel during the pre-game U.S. national anthem to highlight racial injustice and police brutality.

Even Maroon 5's "Girls Like You" collaborator Cardi B declined to join them on the big stage this weekend after standing in solidarity with Kaepernick, and now singer and activist Waters is urging his fellow musicians to do the same with a simple but powerful gesture during the show.

Alongside video footage of the former Pink Floyd star and his bandmembers kneeling following a concert in Connecticut in September, 2017, he writes, "My colleagues Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi are performing during the halftime show at the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, I call upon them to 'take a knee' on stage in full sight."

"I call upon them to do it in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, to do it for every child shot to death on these mean streets, to do it for every bereaved mother and father and brother and sister."

He goes on to note that this weekend will mark the "36th Sunday he has been locked out of your national game," amid allegations of collusion among NFL team owners to keep him unemployed.

"This is not a victory for the NFL, it is a defeat, you have denied football fans everywhere the pleasure and the honour of watching one of the greatest quarterbacks who ever played the game, and you have shown your true colours," Waters continues.

He also explained he was among the supporters of a Change.org petition demanding Maroon 5 drop out of the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

"My mother used to say to me, 'In any situation there is nearly always a right thing to do, just do it,'" Waters concludes. "So there you go my brothers, you are faced with a choice, I'm not saying it will be easy, all the President's men, all the huffers and puffers, will be royally pi**ed off, but, $#@%'em (sic), I call upon you to do it because it's the right thing to do and because somewhere inside you know it."

Maroon 5, Travis, and Big Boi have yet to respond to Waters' public plea, which emerges days after it was revealed the pop/rock band had cancelled its pre-Super Bowl press conference to focus on preparing for the event.

Both Maroon 5 and Travis previously tried to quell criticism of their involvement in the sporting extravaganza by each teaming up with NFL bosses to donate $500,000 (£381,700) a piece to respective charities benefitting disadvantaged kids and social justice initiatives.

The New England Patriots will face off with the Los Angeles Rams for the Super Bowl trophy on Sunday.

Justin Timberlake headlined last year's (18) Halftime Show.

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