Roger Waters in a Nazi-like uniform and a "rifle" (Photo: screenshot, Twitter)
Berlin police have launched an investigation into musician Roger Waters after his performance earlier this month in the city, during which he took to the stage wearing a costume reminiscent of a Nazi uniform. During one of the songs, Rogers donned a leather jacket with a red cloth sleeve resembling a swastika, and "fired" at the audience with an artificial rifle. During the May 17 concert in Germany, Waters even compared Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead in Jenin by IDF soldiers a year ago, to Anne Frank. Germany's Jewish community is furious and turbulent, and a large demonstration is planned for Frankfurt.
Germany has some of the strictest laws in the world against displaying Nazi symbols, and although it did not display a clear Nazi symbol such as the swastika (the swastika on the sleeve of the uniform was replaced by the symbol of two crossed hammers), he will be investigated on suspicion of mass incitement. A senior police official in Berlin said the case would be referred to the State Prosecutor's Office for review: "The context in which Waters wore the costume could be interpreted as glorifying the violent crimes of the Nazi regime, in a way that violates the dignity and memory of the murdered."
An official statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry said: "Good morning to everyone except Roger Waters who spent the evening in Berlin (yes, Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust."
Roger Waters' appearance in Frankfurt was cancelled three months ago by the city council because he was "one of the world's greatest anti-Semites," as they put it, but last month a German court ordered the performance to take place as planned. In its ruling, the court ordered that while some of Waters' performance was in "bad taste," freedom of speech allowed the performance to take place.
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