Berlin: Police are investigating “Pink Floyd” co-founder Roger Waters

The ending “This Is Not A Drill” tour of Germany by “Pink Floyd” co-founder Roger Waters caused a stir from the start and led to police investigations, as has now become known.

Roger Waters: “Thank you for a wonderful night, Berlin!” – CDU wanted to cancel the concert

Waters, who performed in Berlin on May 17 and 18, was already being viewed critically by opponents of his political positions in the run-up to the concert series marketed as “His First Farewell Tour”. This time, it was less the huge balloon in the shape of a pig that hovered over the audience, as is usual in Waters performances, that caused a stir, but a sequence of his stage show. It featured Roger Waters in a long black leather coat, wearing a red armband with two crossed hammers on a white background. He is holding a dummy machine gun that was handed to him by two men disguised as soldiers. Finally, Waters “fires” from the gun, which is accompanied by appropriate light and sound effects. The costuming was obviously intended to evoke associations with the SS and the Wehrmacht.

The Berlin police are now investigating whether Waters could have glorified or relativized National Socialism with this appearance. On social media channels circulate footage of this scene.

First had the UK based portal Jewish News made aware of the Berlin investigations. The police are investigating the extent to which Waters’ stage clothing “is intended to violate the dignity of victims of National Socialism or to glorify, relativize or legitimize the Nazi regime,” according to the rbb. Police spokesman Martin Halweg explained to the broadcaster that state security was investigating the allegations, examining evidence and handing over the investigation results to the public prosecutor. A decision will then be made there on how to proceed.

The British musician had the death of the Palestinian during his Berlin performance Al Jazeera-Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (RT DE reported) compared to that of Anne Frank, who died in the Bergen-Belsen Nazi death camp. In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter:

“Good morning to everyone except Roger Waters, who spent the evening in Berlin (Ja Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.”

Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon also wrote on Twitter that Waters was “one of the greatest haters of Jews of our time”. Waters wanted to “compare Israel to the Nazis.”

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Reports differ as to whether or not a Star of David was attached to the pig balloon in Berlin. The portal t-online of the Ströer advertising group claims that photos from Berlin showing the Star of David can be found on Twitter. The daily mirror and the music magazine Rolling Stone deny this. In Berlin, however, the lettering of the Israeli armaments manufacturer Elbit Systems is said to have been read on the pig-shaped balloon – in addition to the names of other armaments companies.

Rogers Waters has long been accused of being de facto anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic with his radically anti-capitalist-sounding positions. The Berlin CDU also wanted to prevent Waters’ appearance in the “Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin” and had demanded that the organizer and hall operator cancel it.

After that lead-up and the show that Waters eventually put on, mainstream concert reviews have unsurprisingly ranged from mixed to muted.

more on the subject – After the peace speech at the UN: Strong criticism of Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters