Berlin police open criminal investigation into Roger Waters
Following Roger Waters‘ concert in the German capital city on May 17th, Berlin police have launched a criminal investigation into the former Pink Floyd singer on “suspicion of incitement of the people”.
During the concert, Waters briefly donned what looked to be an SS uniform and pretended to fire a rifle during part of his set, which comes as part of the ongoing ‘This Is Not A Drill’ tour. This follows Waters becoming embroiled in antisemitic controversy earlier this year, which led to his shows in Frankfurt and Munich being cancelled before the decision was later overturned.
In addition to the SS uniform, Waters also compared the death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh to the demise of Anne Frank in the Belsen Nazi death camp by putting both of their names on a screen behind him during the performance.
Police chief inspector Martin Halweg has confirmed an investigation has been opened and told Jewish News: “The State Security Department at the Berlin State Criminal Police Office has initiated a criminal investigation procedure regarding the suspicion of incitement of the people (140 Paragraph 4 of the German criminal Code).”
Halweg continued: “The context of the clothing worn is deemed capable of approving, glorifying or justifying the violent and arbitrary rule of the Nazi regime in a manner that violates the dignity of the victims and thereby disrupts public peace. After the conclusion of the investigation, the case will be forwarded to the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office for legal assessment.”
Additionally, the Foreign Minister of Israel condemned the performance, writing on Twitter: “Good morning to every one but Roger Waters who spent the evening in Berlin (Yes Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.”
Waters is scheduled to perform in Frankfurt this weekend, where the local Jewish community are set to protest outside the venue. The former Pink Floyd member is yet to publicly comment on the investigation.
Accusations of antisemitism against Waters began in 2010 when during a concert, he showed a graphic depicting the Jewish Star of David next to dollar signs. He later stated via his website: “There are no hidden meanings in the order or juxtaposition of these symbols.”
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