German police have launched an investigation into former Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters after he allegedly wore a Nazi SS uniform at a concert in Berlin. The investigation opened on Friday comes after complaints about the British musician. Waters wore a long black overcoat with a red bracelet during the conscious performance at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin on May 17. He also aimed an imitation machine gun at the audience. In his defence Waters claims that his action is precisely a form of resistance “against fascism.”
A German police spokesperson told the French news agency AFP that authorities were investigating possible incitement to public hatred “because the clothes worn on stage could be used to glorify or justify the Nazi regime, disturbing public peace.” ”. According to the police, the clothing worn by Waters resembles that of an SS officer. Although displaying Nazi symbols is prohibited in Germany, exceptions exist for artistic or educational reasons.
Various media, including German and Israeli, also refer to the inscriptions in red letters that appeared on a screen during the concert. For example, the names of Anne Frank and Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian-American journalist from Al Jazeera who were killed in May 2022 in an Israeli raid, came into view.
On social media, Waters accuses his critics of “bad faith” after announcing the German investigation. The performance in Berlin was part of his This Is Not A Drill-tour. Waters was in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam for three evenings at the beginning of April. His visit to the Netherlands also drew criticism from the organizers at the time. The Israel Information and Documentation Center described Waters as a “disgusting man.” Waters will be in Frankfurt on Sunday, a city that previously tried to stop the Briton’s performance. The judge intervened, referring to artistic freedom.
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