The Israeli Foreign Ministry blamed Roger Waters for this “stained the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.” ANNA KURTH / –
In a dubious staging, the ex-Pink Floyd wore an outfit reminiscent of an SS officer. And on the same plane, the deaths of Anne Frank and that of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian journalist killed in an Israeli raid in May 2022.
German police said on Friday they had opened an investigation into alleged provocations at a recent concert by former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters, at which he notably wore an outfit reminiscent of an SS officer.
“We are investigating on suspicion of hate speech because the clothing worn on stage is suitable for glorifying or justifying the National Socialist regime and disturbing public peace.”police spokesman Martin Halweg told -.
Images published on social networks notably show Waters in a long black coat and red armbands during a concert that took place on May 17 on the stage of the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin.
Several German and Israeli media also commemorated the inscriptions in red letters on a canvas during the concert with the names of Anne Frank and Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American star journalist from Al Jazeera, who was killed in an Israeli raid in May 2022.
“We are investigating and forwarding the case to the public prosecutor’s office after the conclusion of the case for a final legal assessment.”said the police spokesman, stressing that it was up to the prosecutor to initiate proceedings.
The concert was met with severe criticism in Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry therefore criticized Waters for this on Wednesday “stained the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.” “Waters wants to compare Israel to the Nazis”. He is “one of the greatest critics of the Jews of our time”responded on Twitter the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon.
The 79-year-old Waters has distinguished himself in recent years by taking a stand on the war in Ukraine in particular. “It is not true that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked”presented the ex-Pink Floyd to the UN Security Council on February 8, where he had been invited by Russia to speak.
He also defends actions to boycott Israeli products in the name of defending the Palestinian cause. Frankfurt authorities canceled a concert by the British singer on May 28, but the decision was overturned by an administrative court on behalf of freedom of expression. A protest demonstration against a new Roger Waters concert in Germany is also planned for Sunday in Frankfurt, at the request of the local Jewish community and in particular the Greens.
