After the opening of an investigation by the German police targeting the ex-Pink Floyd Roger Waters after a concert where he had dressed in an outfit evoking a member of the SS and used in particular the name of Anne Frank, a historical victim of the Holocaust, the co-founder of the rock band responded to his critics by calling their accusations "bad faith".
On his Instagram and Twitter accounts in a message published Friday evening, May 26, Roger Waters wrote: "My recent concert in Berlin has generated bad faith attacks from those who want to silence me because they disagree with my political views. The aspects of my concert that have been questioned are clearly a message against fascism, injustice and sectarianism in all its forms and any attempt to see anything else in it is dishonest."
" READ ALSO Investigation into alleged anti-Semitic provocations of Roger Waters during a concert in Berlin
Before the defense of Roger Waters, the Berlin police had announced Friday, May 26, the opening of an investigation, following complaints, "on suspicion of incitement to hatred because the clothes worn on stage are likely to glorify or justify the National Socialist regime and disturb public order," according to a spokesman.
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In the images posted on social networks, the singer appears wearing a long black coat marked with a symbol reminiscent of the swastika and red armbands during the concert. Several media outlets also mentioned inscriptions, in red letters on a screen during the concert, of the names of Anne Frank and Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American star journalist for Al Jazeera who was killed in an Israeli raid in May 2022.
Outraged reactions in Israel
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Unfortunately, the legal proceedings against him have so far turned in his favor, although he spreads anti-Semitism and is suspected of incitement to hatred, "responded Saturday, May 27, the delegate of the German government for the fight against anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, to the newspapers of the Funke group. "I call for the vigilance of the police and justice and I encourage other denunciations," added Felix Klein.
The Berlin concert drew sharp criticism in Israel. Israel's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday blamed Waters for "staining the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust."
"Waters wants to compare Israel to the Nazis." He is "one of the greatest critics of the Jews of our time," also reacted on Twitter the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon.
The former Pink Floyd, 79, has distinguished himself in recent years by taking political positions, especially on the war in Ukraine. "It is not true that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked," he said on February 8 before the UN Security Council where he was invited by Russia to speak. He also defends actions to boycott Israeli products in the name of defending the Palestinian cause.
Authorities in Frankfurt cancelled a concert by the British singer on Sunday, but the decision was overturned by an administrative court in the name of freedom of expression. A demonstration against Roger Waters' visit to the city is planned at the call of the local Jewish community and the Green Party in particular. "Concert organizers should think twice before offering a stage to conspiracy theorists," the German government official said.