The Pink Floyd singer performed two concerts in Berlin last week while dressed in a satirical costume resembling a Nazi uniform.
On Friday, the Berlin police confirmed that they have initiated an investigation into Roger Waters, the co-founder of Pink Floyd, for alleged incitement to hatred. The investigation stems from Waters wearing a Nazi-style uniform during a concert held in the German capital.
Social media images captured Roger Waters wearing a long, black coat adorned with red armbands during his performance at the Mercedes-Benz Arena last week. the investigation has been deemed necessary due to concerns that the attire worn by Roger Waters during his performance could potentially glorify or justify Nazi rule, leading to a disturbance of public peace.
Waters Accused of Anti-Semitism
Waters wore the attire during his performance of Pink Floyd’s 1979 concept album “The Wall,” where the central character of the album envisions himself as a fascist ruler. This satirical act has been a regular feature of Waters‘ solo shows for over three decades, including a memorable live rendition of the album in Berlin back in 1990. Surprisingly, the German government has now initiated a criminal inquiry into his recent performance, marking the first time such action has been taken.
In Germany, it is against the law to display symbols associated with Nazi rule, such as the swastika or SS insignia. However, there are exceptions to this prohibition, which allow for the use of such symbols in educational settings and artistic contexts.
Waters, a renowned pro-Palestinian activist, has faced accusations of harboring anti-Jewish sentiments. At his concerts, he has notably featured an inflatable pig that bears the Star of David emblem. The artist has, however, refuted the accusations of anti-Semitism and made it clear that his criticisms are focused on Israeli policies rather than on Jewish people as a whole.
Strong Condemnation from Israeli Officials
In recent days, Israeli authorities have shifted their focus of criticism towards Roger Waters, placing less emphasis on the controversial costumes he wore and instead highlighting a segment of his performance that displayed the names of activists who were killed by authorities. This particular aspect of Waters’ concert has drawn strong condemnation from Israeli officials.
During the same concert in Berlin, Roger Waters displayed the names of several deceased individuals on a large screen, among them Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who tragically perished in a Nazi concentration camp. Another name included was that of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist who was killed. This act drew criticism, with claims that Waters was attempting to draw parallels between the Holocaust and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a perspective that sparked controversy and accusations of relativizing the Holocaust.
The Berlin police will continue their evidence-gathering process for approximately three months. After this period, they will submit their findings to the state prosecutor. It will be the prosecutor’s responsibility to assess whether Roger Waters’ act can be categorized as incitement to hatred based on the evidence provided.
Despite efforts by Frankfurt city magistrates to cancel Roger Waters’ upcoming concert in the city, accusing him of being one of the world’s most prominent anti-Semites, Waters, who has consistently refuted allegations of anti-Semitism, pursued legal action against the decision. Last month, Frankfurt’s administrative court ruled in favor of Waters, affirming his right to proceed with the event, albeit acknowledging that certain elements of his show were deemed “tasteless”.
