TORONTO (Friday, September 29, 2017) – Following the public’s response to Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center’s (FSWC) call for Roger Waters to respect human rights while performing in Canada, American Express Canada (AMEX) has distanced itself from Waters’ tour.

During a recent interview with CNN, Waters himself claimed that AMEX in Canada (listed as a “friend and partner” on the Ticketmaster website) would continue to be a sponsor despite the U.S. arm pulling support.

VP of Communications, Advertising & Sponsorships David Barnes told FSWC: “American Express, neither in Canada nor in the U.S., is a sponsor of the Roger Waters 2017 Tour. In fact this was never a consideration. As you may know, American Express provides advance access to hundreds of events every year covering dining, entertainment and retail. However, direct sponsorship of artists or tours is not part of our strategy.”

"As FSWC continues to monitor and counter the deepening state of hate and intolerance right across Canada, it is crucial that we stand united against the antisemitism that is associated with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a movement that Waters continues to be a leading voice in promoting,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “As Waters is getting set to hit stages across Canada, we continue to ask all Canadians to join in our call to Rogers Waters to respect human rights while here.”

FSWC works tirelessly to counter hate and intolerance in communities across the country. Please take a moment to sign our Call to Action, which can be found HERE.

CLICK HERE to read FSWC’s letter to American Express.

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To arrange an interview with Avi Benlolo, please contact:

Atara Cadesky  
Communications Associate  
416.864.9735 x 30 
acadesky@fswc.ca

Avital Borisovsky  
Communications Associate    
416.864.9735 x 30 
aborisovsky@fswc.ca

Follow us on Twitter at @CanadianFSWC for latest news and organization updates

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Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) is a top Jewish human rights foundation in Canada's organized Jewish community. It directly impacts over 100,000 people each year and 500,000+ peripherally. FSWC is committed to countering racism and antisemitism and to promoting the principles of tolerance, social justice and Canadian democratic values through advocacy and educational programs including workshops, Freedom Day, Spirit of Hope Benefit, Tools for Tolerance and the widely acclaimed Tour for Humanity. FSWC is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights organization headquartered in Los Angeles which has won two Academy Awards, has built two Museums of Tolerance (with a third being built in Jerusalem) and is an NGO at the United Nations, UNESCO, OAS, OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament. Visit us at www.fswc.ca. 

 Canadian Headquarters: Toronto       Branches: Los Angeles • New York • Chicago • Paris • Buenos Aires • Israel