Political groups and associations for the defense of women’s rights are stepping up in Switzerland and Austria to demand the cancellation of the next dates of the German group in their countries.
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 on Thursday June 8 to cancel the concerts scheduled for June 17 and 18 in the Swiss capital, although the lawyers of Till Lindemann, the voice and lyricist of the group, formally deny the accusations. worn 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”, says Thomas Bruchez, vice-president of the JS at the Keystone-ATS agency. At the end of the day, Friday, the petition had collected more than 4,000 signatures out of the 5,000 targeted.
The Swiss Socialist Women, the feminist organization for peace cfd and the NGO against violence against women Brava also support the initiative. In the columns of the tabloid Blick on Friday June 9, the Bernese committee of the feminist strike collective demanded that the organizer give up the concerts and said it was thinking about a possible action in front of the Wankdorf stadium, where the two performances are to take place, sold out.
In Austria, the Greens have also called for the cancellation of the concerts scheduled for Vienna on July 26 and 27. “It is the responsibility of the organizers not to offer a platform to suspected attackers”, said Viktoria Spielmann, in charge of women’s issues for the Green Party. Their petition (content in German) gathered, Saturday, June 10, more than 5,000 signatures.
The case began at the end of May with the testimony of a 24-year-old Irish woman accusing Till Lindemann 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 the concerts, filmed or photographed so that Lindemann could make his choice, before for some of them being invited backstage for parties. Some would then have been drugged before being attacked by the 60-year-old singer.
“These accusations are invariably false”assure the lawyers of Till Lindemann. “We will immediately take legal action for all such allegations”they threaten.