Following his performance in Berlin, local police are investigating Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters on suspicion of hate speech. At his concert last week, the 79-year-old wore a long black leather jacket and a red armband – clothes that resemble those of an SS officer. Because of a chilling comparison at the concert, Waters is also accused of anti-Semitism – not for the first time.
The clothes are suitable “to glorify the rule of the National Socialist regime,” a Berlin police spokesman told AFP news agency. This can also disturb public peace. According to the spokesperson, after the investigation has been completed, the procedure will be transferred to the public prosecutor’s office, which will then have to decide whether a criminal offense has been committed.
Harmless as part of the show?
However, the performance in the black leather jacket has long been part of the show for the song “In The Flesh” from Pink Floyd’s concept album “The Wall”. In it, Roger Waters takes on the role of a rock star who goes insane and hallucinates that he is a dictator who wants to shoot down minorities. At the end of the performance, Waters grabs his submachine gun and shoots blanks over the heads of the audience (see tweet below). The Berlin police spokesman emphasized to the “Spiegel” that all incriminating and exculpatory evidence would flow into the investigation.
The concert in Berlin as part of the “This Is Not A Drill” tour earned Roger Waters other harsh criticism. During the show, the names of Anne Frank, murdered by the Nazi regime, and Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh appeared on giant screens. Akleh was killed in 2022 during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank. The seemingly incomparable circumstances of death were equated by Waters: under Anne Frank’s name it read: “Crime: Being Jewish”, under Akleh’s: “Crime: Being Palestinian”.
“Biggest Jew Hater of Our Time”
Waters wants to compare Israel to the Nazis, Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon wrote on Twitter. “He is embarrassingly one of the greatest Jew haters of our time,” Danon said. The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Waters on Wednesday of “slurring the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust” in Berlin.
Waters had already attracted attention with anti-Semitic statements. He is also accused of being close to the so-called BDS campaign, an anti-Israel boycott initiative. The city of Frankfurt am Main wanted to cancel a concert by the musician at the end of May, but the local administrative court granted Waters’ urgent request against the cancellation. The city of Munich also allowed a concert – Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) called the decision “unbearable”, but saw no other legal possibility.
Last year, Waters was also annoyed by statements about the war in Ukraine that fit into Russian propaganda – earning him praise from ex-President Dmitry Medvedev.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
