Women's associations and politicians are mobilizing to force the cancellation of Rammstein concerts in Switzerland and Austria after accusations of sexual assault against the singer of the German metal band. The Swiss Socialist Youth (JS) launched a petition Thursday night to cancel the concerts scheduled for June 17 and 18 in the Swiss capital, although the lawyers of Till Lindemann the voice and the lyricist of the group formally deny the accusations made by several young women since May. "These accusations of sexual assault must be taken seriously! The only responsible thing to do in this context is to cancel the concerts," said Thomas Bruchez, vice-president of the JS at Keystone-ATS.
By Friday, the petition had collected more than 4000,5000 signatures out of the <>,<> targeted and they were growing rapidly, the Swiss press having widely echoed this call. Swiss Socialist Women, the feminist peace organisation cfd and the NGO against violence against women Brava also support the initiative. In the columns of the tabloid Blick on Friday, the Bernese committee of the feminist strike collective demanded that the organizer give up the concerts and said it was considering a possible action in front of the Wankdorf stadium, where the two performances are to be sold-out crowded.
In neighbouring Austria, the Greens also called for the cancellation of concerts scheduled for Vienna on 26-27 July. "It is the responsibility of the organizers not to offer a platform to alleged aggressors," said Viktoria Spielmann, in charge of women's issues for the ecologist party. A petition posted nearly 5,000 signatures Friday night. Rammstein, many of whose songs have very raw sexual references, is the German-speaking band that sells the most albums in the world and its worldwide success is also based on the excesses of its concerts, with great pyrotechnics and the imposing physical presence of Till Lindemann with his deep bass voice.
The case began in late May with the testimony of a 24-year-old Irish woman accusing the singer and lyricist of the group of drugging and sexually assaulting her after a concert the same month in Lithuania. Other young women then testified, all describing more or less the same scenario. The groupies would have been spotted in the front rows of concerts, filmed or photographed so that Lindemann could make his choice, before for some to be invited backstage for parties.
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Some would then have been drugged before suffering the assaults of the singer, aged 60. "These accusations are invariably false," Lindemann's lawyers say. "We will immediately take legal action for all such allegations," they threaten.