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May 26, 2023 | 10:50 p.m
British rocker Roger Waters defended himself on Friday after German police launched an investigation into the Pink Floyd founder over his Nazi-style attire at a Berlin concert last week.
Berlin police spokesman Martin Hallweg said: “We are investigating the costumes worn on stage as glorifying or justifying the Nazi regime on suspicion of inciting public hatred.”
Waters, dressed in a long black coat, black gloves and dark sunglasses – complete with red armband – fired a mock gun into the crowd during his May 17 performance, flanked by men dressed in semi-military uniforms.
“The clothes look like the clothes of an SS officer,” Hallweg said.
The 79-year-old defended his choice of clothing, saying it was a clear statement “against fascism, injustice, bigotry in all its forms”.
“My recent show in Berlin attracted bad faith attacks from people who wanted to slander and silence me because they disagreed with my political views and moral principles.” he said in a statement.
“Attempts to paint these bodies as something else are false and politically motivated. Since Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” in 1980, the image of an unmasked fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows.
Several Twitter users were quick to slam the rocker, including the State of Israel.
“Welcome to everyone except Roger Waters, who spent the night in Berlin (yes, Berlin) commemorating Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. He wrote.
Other German cities, including Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne, tried to cancel water concerts after Jewish groups accused them of anti-Semitism for supporting Palestine.
Earlier this year, the Frankfurt City Billboard called Waters “one of the world’s most notorious anti-Semites.”
The “Wish Note” singer denied the allegations Friday, saying he used the platform to stand up to “tyranny and oppression.”
“When I was a child after the war, Anne Frank’s name was often mentioned in our home, a constant reminder of what happens when fascism goes unchecked. My parents fought the Nazis in World War II. My father paid the ultimate price,” he said.
“Regardless of the consequences of the violence against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and those who perpetrate it.”
Efforts to stop his shows across Germany have been unsuccessful – the last tour date in the country is scheduled for May 28 in Frankfurt.
with the post Wires
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