Roger Waters is being investigated by Berlin police after wearing a Nazi-style uniform during a concert in the German capital.
Berlin police spokesman Martin Halweg told AFP ( via g1 ) : “We are investigating a suspicion of incitement to public hatred because the clothes worn on stage could be used to glorify or justify the Nazi regime, disturbing public order. The clothes resemble the uniform of an SS officer.”
The performance reportedly took place on May 17th at the Mercedes-Benz Arena. Online, Roger Waters fans pointed out that this practice has been part of the musician's shows for many years and is performed as a form of anti-fascist and anti-Nazi protest.
In a message added to provide context to a post by the organization Stop Antisemitism on Twitter, readers clarified what usually happens in this part of the show: “Roger Waters plays Pink Floyd , a rock star who overdoses and goes insane, hallucinating that he is a dictator at a fascist rally, and the audience is his supporter. It's a famous role played by Bob Geldof in the film Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982).”
In addition to the Nazi attire, German and Israeli authorities were also bothered by the display of images of dead people on the screen, such as the Jewish girl Anne Frank and the Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh , who died in an Israeli operation in 2022.
According to UN Ambassador Danny Danon , Roger Waters' intention is "to compare Israel to the Nazis." The ambassador also criticized the artist, saying he is "a worse musician than David Gilmour ." Waters is a prominent pro-Palestinian activist and has previously been accused of antisemitism. The Public Prosecutor's Office will decide whether or not he will be prosecuted.
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