Around 300 people called for the concerts in Berlin to be banned Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Fabian Sommer
From BZ/dpa
Before the first of three Berlin concerts by the band Rammstein, protests broke out on Saturday over allegations against singer Till Lindemann.
According to the police, around 300 people demanded a ban on the events in front of the Olympic Stadium. The protesters had previously gone to the stadium in a demonstration.
More than 60,000 people are expected to attend the concerts on Saturday, Sunday (July 16) and Tuesday (July 18). The band’s performances are usually characterized by hard sounds and pyrotechnics.
Several women have made allegations against Lindemann, some of them anonymously. They describe situations that they find frightening. Sexual acts are said to have occurred at after-show parties.
Lindemann rejects allegations against him. His lawyers point to claims on social media that women at concerts “were drugged with knockout drops or alcohol to enable our client to perform sexual acts on them. Without exception, these allegations are untrue.”
The public prosecutor’s office in Berlin has initiated preliminary proceedings against Lindemann. If a crime is suspected, they must investigate. Media reports can also be the trigger for this. The presumption of innocence applies until the investigation is completed.
frontman Lindeman (60), guitarists Richard Kruspe (56) and Paul Landers (58), bassist Oliver Riedel (52), keyboardist Christian “Flake” Lorenz (56) and drummer Christoph Schneider (57) live in Berlin. The six musicians came together here in 1994 and have since developed into the most internationally successful German band with their hard sound.