(Berlin) Ex-Pink Floyd member Roger Waters has accused critics of ‘bad faith’ after news broke that German police had opened an investigation into a controversial concert in Berlin, which earned him a lot of criticism.
The singer and composer notably wore an outfit reminiscent of an SS officer and used the name of Anne Frank, the young German Jew who died in a concentration camp.
“My recent concert in Berlin has generated attacks of bad faith from those who want to silence me because they disagree with my political opinions”, reacted Roger Waters in a message published Friday evening on his Instagram accounts and Twitter.
“Aspects of my concert that have been questioned are clearly a message against fascism, injustice and bigotry in all its forms” and any attempt to see anything else “is dishonest”, he said. added.
The Berlin police announced on Friday 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 to disturb public order,” according to a spokesperson.
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 also mentioned inscriptions, in red letters on a screen during the concert, of the names of Anne Frank and Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestinian-American star journalist of the Al Jazeera channel killed during an Israeli raid in May 2022 .
Berlin Criticism
“Unfortunately, the legal proceedings against him have so far turned in his favor – despite spreading anti-Semitism and being suspected of incitement to hatred”, reacted on Saturday the German government delegate to the fight against anti-Semitism, Felix Klein, with the newspapers of the Funke group.
But “I appeal to the vigilance of the police and justice and I encourage other denunciations”, adds Mr. Klein.
The Berlin concert drew strong criticism in Israel.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs thus criticized Waters on Wednesday for having “sullied 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”, reacted on Twitter the Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon.
The ex-Pink Floyd, 79, has distinguished himself in recent years by taking a stand, in particular on the war in Ukraine.
“It is not true that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked”, he had notably launched on February 8 before the UN Security Council where he had been invited by Russia to express.
He also defends actions to boycott Israeli products in the name of defending the Palestinian cause.
Frankfurt authorities canceled 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 the arrival of Roger Waters in 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,” said the German government official.