Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, is being investigated by Berlin police for incitement to hatred after he wore a Nazi-style uniform during a concert in the German capital. The police are investigating on suspicion of incitement to public hatred because the clothing worn on stage could be used to glorify or justify Nazi rule, thereby disturbing the public peace. Waters is a well-known pro-Palestinian activist who has been accused of holding anti-Jewish views. He has played in several German cities in recent weeks as part of his « This Is Not A Drill » tour, which has been hugely controversial with some city officials even trying, unsuccessfully, to ban him from performing.
Waters denies the anti-Semitism accusations, saying he was protesting against Israeli policies and not the Jewish people. At the same Berlin concert, Waters also flashed the names of several deceased people on a large screen, including that of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who died in a Nazi concentration camp. Also named was slain Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, prompting criticism that Waters was relativising the Holocaust. Frankfurt city authorities sought to stop the concert but a court ruled against them, citing artistic freedom. Uwe Becker, the anti-Semitism commissioner for the regional state of Hesse, told the Frankfurter Rundschau daily that Waters was promoting « hatred and incitement against Israel » with his shows.
The controversy surrounding Roger Waters’ « This Is Not A Drill » tour continues to grow, with Berlin police investigating him for incitement to hatred after he wore a Nazi-style uniform during a concert in the German capital. Waters, a well-known pro-Palestinian activist, has been accused of holding anti-Jewish views and has played in several German cities in recent weeks, despite some city officials trying to ban him from performing. Frankfurt city authorities sought to stop the concert but a court ruled against them, citing artistic freedom. Uwe Becker, the anti-Semitism commissioner for the regional state of Hesse, accused Waters of promoting « hatred and incitement against Israel » with his shows.
The controversy surrounding Roger Waters’ « This Is Not A Drill » tour continues to grow, with Berlin police investigating him for incitement to hatred after he wore a Nazi-style uniform during a concert in the German capital. Waters, a well-known pro-Palestinian activist, has been accused of holding anti-Jewish views and has played in several German cities in recent weeks, despite some city officials trying to ban him from performing. Frankfurt city authorities sought to stop the concert but a court ruled against them, citing artistic freedom. Uwe Becker, the anti-Semitism commissioner for the regional state of Hesse, accused Waters of promoting « hatred and incitement against Israel » with his shows.
- Anne Frank
- anti-Jewish views
- anti-Semitism commissioner.
- Antisemitism
- artistic freedom
- Berlin
- Berlin police
- concert
- Frankfurt
- Germany
- Holocaust
- inflatable pig
- Israël
- Israeli policies
- Mercedes-Benz Arena
- Nazi-style uniform
- Nazism
- Palestinian-American journalist
- Pink Floyd
- pro-Palestinian activist
- protesters
- Roger Waters
- US