The Berlin police have opened an investigation into Rogers Watersfounder, vocalist and bassist of Pink Floyd on suspicion of glorifying Nazi values.
After his concert in the city, images have circulated on social networks showing Rogers Waters simulating to fire a machine gun wearing a long black coat with a red armband. Although it alludes to the aesthetics of the film The Wallbased on the Pink Floyd album of the same title, is also similar to the Nazi SS uniform.
German police explained that the investigation was opened on suspicion that the costume, in the context in which it was used, could be a glorification or justification of the Nazi government. And that it could be an exaltation of National Socialist violence in a way “hurtful to the dignity of the victims,” according to a spokesman.
As is customary at Roger Waters concerts, the show was full of social denunciation, including anti-Nazi activist Sophie Scholl. Iranian Mahsa Amini, who was killed by Tehran’s morality police, could also be seen. An image of George Floyd, killed by the Minnesota police in the United States, appeared.
It also showed Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American journalist who was killed last May, possibly by shots from Israeli soldiers during a clash with Palestinian soldiers. Immediately afterwards, Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager murdered by the Nazis in a concentration camp, was shown.
The latter caused the annoyance of the Israeli foreign minister. He accused him of “tarnishing the memory of Anne Frank and the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.”
Roger Waters: always immersed in controversy
Criticism for anti-Semitic allegory against Roger Waters has been increasing during his time in Germany. The city of Frankfurt has terminated the contract to perform at the municipal concert hall, a show that would take place on May 28. A city spokesman accused him of “being one of the most outspoken anti-Semites in the world.”
Roger Waters successfully challenged the move, and the concert will take place. Attempts had already been made to ban his performance in Munich, but they concluded that it was not legally possible to do so.
The controversies accumulate for Roger Waters. In addition to the accusations of anti-Semitism, which he strongly denies, he also appears to be sympathetic to Chavismo in Venezuela. Furthermore, he has suggested being in favor of Russia in the war against Ukraine. In August 2022, during an interview with CNNHe said that Taiwan is part of China. He also stated that this “has been accepted by the entire international community since 1948.”